The Vail Hip Sport Test for Assessment of Functionality and Readiness to Return to Sport in the Setting of Hip Arthroscopy

Abstract

Functional testing is an important component of preoperative and postoperative assessment for hip arthroscopy regarding patient selection, management of patient expectations, and determination of readiness to return to sport. There is lack of consensus on timing and criteria to return to sport following hip arthroscopy, which is crucial to reduce risk of reinjury. In this technical note, we will present how to perform the Vail Hip Sport Test for evaluation of functionality in hip arthroscopy patients. The Vail Hip Sport Test can easily be performed in the clinical setting and provides the physician and care team with information about muscular endurance, proprioception, and coordination, giving a more global picture of hip function. The Vail Hip Sport Test alone and in combination with other diagnostic examinations can provide valuable information about initial hip function, patient prognosis, and readiness to return to sport. Future directions include investigating the reliability and validity of the Vail Hip Sport Test to assess function and readiness to return to sport and association with outcomes following hip arthroscopy. The author(s) attests that consent has been obtained from any patient(s) appearing in this publication. If the individual may be identifiable, the author(s) has included a statement of release or other written form of approval from the patient(s) with this submission for publication.