Femoroacetabular Impingement in Professional Basketball Players: Return to Play, Career Length, and Performance After Hip Arthroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that hip arthroscopy is an effective treatment for symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in professional athletes across a variety of sports. However, the return-to-play rates and postoperative performance of elite basketball players after hip arthroscopy are currently unknown.

PURPOSE: To determine return-to-play rates and postoperative performance among professional basketball athletes after hip arthroscopy.

STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: Eighteen professional basketball players underwent hip arthroscopy (24 hips) for symptomatic FAI between 2001 and 2016 by a single surgeon. Return to play was defined as competing in a single professional game of equal level after surgery. Data were retrospectively obtained for each player from basketball-reference.com , ESPN.com , eurobasket.com, and individual team websites. Matched controls were selected from the websites to compare performances.

RESULTS: The mean age at the time of surgery was 25.6 years, and the mean body mass index was 24.4 kg/m2 . All players returned to their previous levels of competition, with a mean number of 4 seasons played after surgery (median, 3; range, 1-12). The mean ± SD time between the date of surgery and return to a professional game was 7.1 ± 4.4 months. There was no change in player efficiency rating when pre- and postinjury performance were compared. When compared with controls, players undergoing surgery also had no significant decline in player efficiency rating.

CONCLUSION: Elite basketball athletes who undergo hip arthroscopy for the treatment of FAI return to their presurgical levels of competition at a high rate. These athletes demonstrate no significant overall decrease in performance upon their return to play.