Clinical Commentary: A Criteria-Based Testing Protocol for Return to Sport Post Hip Arthroscopy for Impingement.
Gabriella Hugenberg, Jason Stallons, Chad Smith, Kathryn Brockhoff, Matthew Gingras, Darryl Yardley, Olufemi Ayeni, Mahmoud Almasri
PMID 37795325WHAT IT FOUND
This paper proposes a criteria-based testing protocol for return to sport after hip arthroscopy, covering range of motion, strength, and functional tests.
It is a clinical commentary, not a study. It reports no patient outcomes, so it offers no evidence that this protocol works.
What this paper is
This is a clinical commentary proposing a testing protocol for return to sport after hip arthroscopy. It reviews existing literature to suggest criteria for range of motion, strength, and functional testing, but it does not report results from a study involving patients. There are no outcomes, no comparisons, and no evidence presented that this specific protocol improves return-to-sport rates or reduces re-injury, so there is nothing here to change your practice on.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this proposed protocol as validated evidence. The authors state that no standardized return to sport testing protocol currently exists and that their proposal requires future validation. There are no data in this paper showing that using these specific criteria leads to better patient outcomes.