Periacetabular osteotomy with and without concomitant arthroscopy: a systematic review of evidence on post-operative activity levels and return to sport

The purpose of this systematic review is to (i) compare post-operative activity levels after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) versus PAO + HA (concomitant PAO and hip arthroscopy) using patient-reported outcomes that specifically assess activity and sports participation [Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score—Sport and Recreation subscale (HOOS-SR), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score, Hip Outcome Score—Sport-Specific Subscale (HOS-SSS)] and (ii) compare post-operative return to sport (RTS) data between PAO and PAO + HA groups. A systematic review of literature was conducted on 1 June 2023, utilizing PubMed, Cochrane and Embase (OVID). Articles were screened for inclusion using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty-six out of 1610 articles met all inclusion criteria, without meeting any exclusion criteria. In the 12 studies containing only subjects who underwent PAO alone, 11 demonstrated an average score improvement in UCLA, HOOS-SR or HOS-SSS post-operatively (P < 0.05). In the three studies containing subjects who underwent PAO with concomitant HA, significant improvements were seen in the HOS-SS and UCLA scores (P < 0.05). In the five studies that directly compared UCLA, HOS-SSS and HOOS-SSS scores between PAO groups and PAO + HA groups, all demonstrated statistically significant improvement post-operatively (P < 0.05). The rate of RTS ranged from 63% to 90.8% among PAO studies and was found to be 81% in the single PAO + HA study that assessed RTS. When performed in patients with intra-articular pathology, concomitant PAO + HA may provide similar sport-related outcomes to PAO alone in patients without intra-articular pathology.