Editorial Commentary: Are we checking our bias in patients with fibromyalgia that need hip arthroscopy?

Abstract

Like all diagnoses and co-morbidities, patients with hip pain should be managed with individualized treatment plans. Patients with fibromyalgia undergoing hip arthroscopy are no different. Even if their absolute scores remain lower than those without fibromyalgia, these patients can achieve clinically meaningful improvements in patient-reported outcomes after treatment of femoroacetabular impingement. As orthopedic providers we should be aware of potential bias against patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and critically evaluate the literature that supports clinically relevant improvement after surgical intervention. Fibromyalgia should not be viewed as a condition that excludes or increases the threshold for hip arthroscopy, but rather as a factor requiring nuanced, multidisciplinary perioperative care and realistic goal-setting.