As Dr. Alex Bendersky began to research the role physical therapy played in regards to post-operative care, much of the arthroscopic literature was written from a physician or surgical perspective and he noticed there was very little mention of physical therapy and the role it played.
As an advocate for the PT community, Dr. Bendersky felt an opportunity to bridge this gap and introduce the physical therapy voice to this important topic so he teamed up with a group of experts from the field and together they published “Structured physical therapy protocols following hip arthroscopy and their effect on patient-reported outcomes—a systematic review of the literature.”
Utilizing physical therapy to lead to favorable outcomes
The purpose of Dr. Bendersky’s study was to analyze the effect of structured physical therapy protocols on patient-reported outcomes following hip arthroscopy. The team’s hypothesis was that the results would demonstrate favorable outcomes. After conducting a systematic review and meta analysis of available literature on post-operative rehab following hip arthroscopy they looked at various factors including variances in surgical methods, patient demographics, and personal choice. In the end, they found very little evidence-based orthopedic literature on the topic in general, and the previous research that had been done lacked diversity. In addition, their findings seemed to have a strong bend towards physician preference over evidence based outcomes.
Recent advances in surgical techniques have resulted in variability of procedures performed during arthroscopic treatment of the hip, which strongly influences patient recovery post-operatively. Hip arthroscopy-related rehab protocols and guidelines remain in a preliminary stage when compared to the growth and recent technical advancements in hip arthroscopy itself. This is evident from the well-published literature on primary and revision hip arthroscopy procedures. Several prior reviews have evaluated patient outcomes after hip arthroscopy, however, very few have specifically examined the commonalities and differences of post-operative rehabilitation being employed.
In contrast, very few studies exist in support of physical therapy protocols being utilized following hip arthroscopy, and only a fraction of these include patient-reported outcomes. The steep learning curve and high volume of hip arthroscopy needed to minimize heterogeneity of data have limited surgeons from defining well-established rehabilitation guidelines. Currently, there is no consensus among hip arthroscopy surgeons on post-operative rehabilitation, and the existing literature lacks high-level clinical evidence supporting a specific approach.
Building bridges with the medical community
The lack of impact and voice represented by PT and rehab professionals in orthopedic literature was a surprise. “My hope is that we can build upon the current body of evidence and provide value-based, evidence guided clinical care in the future,” explains Dr. Bendersky. “We need to build further bridges with the medical community and continue to represent our profession in orthopedic literature by working with our orthopedic colleagues to build a foundation for value and evidence based care.”
Upon the conclusion of the initial study, the team has just scratched the surface of this topic.
“The end goal is to contribute to future growth of our profession and provide value to our patients and our community.” – Dr. Alex Bendersky
Alex Bendersky treats patients in our Highland Park, IL clinic. You can read his entire article on physical therapy protocols following hip arthroscopy and their effect on patient-reported outcomes here.
Hip pain and treatment options
Hip pain is a common complaint and can be a result of many different reasons. In fact, patients will often report pain in the hips when the root cause is actually from pain in other areas of the body radiating to the hips (for instance, a hernia or groin injury). Though the hip is a resilient joint that can sustain repeated motion and usage, hip injuries often have crippling effects because nearly all body motion involves the hip joint. Physical therapy can be a viable treatment option, both post-operative and when surgery is not involved. If you have questions about hip pain or preparing for an upcoming surgery, our team of experts is here to help. Contact us today.
