Editorial Commentary: Protected Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Is Essential After Hip Capsule and Labral Repair

Abstract

Hip arthroscopy is an effective procedure with rapidly improving techniques and implants. Routine labral and capsular repair are broadly agreed upon as standard of care in most cases, which is now supported by long-term outcome studies. A crucial component of patient postoperative success is physical therapy. While accelerated programs are appealing, biomechanical studies have consistently demonstrated decreased stability at time zero after hip arthroscopy, particularly labral repairs. Therefore, although we want to help our patients get back to their lives as soon as possible, it remains our responsibility to protect their hip in the early postoperative period. If, in ideal laboratory conditions, we cannot restore stability to an intact state, then we must presuppose that the suction seal improves as the capsule, and more importantly, the labrum, heals after surgical manipulation. This means we are not able to rely solely on the strength of our repair, and there is a distinct period where the repaired hip is particularly vulnerable. Most hip arthroscopy protocols use a protective period, ranging from 4 to 8 weeks, during which there is an emphasis on passive range of motion only, with a strict moratorium on "pushing beyond pain."