Postoperative rehabilitation for arthroscopic management of femoroacetabular impingement

Key points

1. 01Rehabilitation is commonly organized into four phases, from protecting the surgical repair through to returning to competitive sport.
2. 02Phase 1 focuses on protecting the repair, reducing pain and inflammation, and reaching roughly 80% of range of motion.
3. 03Phase 2 advances to full weightbearing and functional independence, Phase 3 builds strength and endurance for recreational activity, and Phase 4 targets return to competitive sport.
4. 04Protocols are heterogeneous, with no unanimous agreement on timelines, precautions, or specific exercises.
5. 05Clearer definitions are needed to help patients return to activity safely and without unnecessary delay.

How it was conducted

Design

Narrative contemporary review of postoperative physical therapy protocols

Topic

Rehabilitation after arthroscopic management of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS)

Structure reviewed

Four-phase rehabilitation framework

Phase 1 detail

4 to 6 weeks from postoperative day 1, partial weightbearing, range-of-motion restrictions after labral repair, optional CPM or brace, isometrics, gait normalization

What they found

• Phase 1 spans roughly 4 to 6 weeks starting postoperative day 1 and aims for about 80% of range of motion.
• Phase 2 targets full weightbearing and functional independence; Phase 3 targets strength and endurance for recreational activity; Phase 4 targets return to competitive sport.

Limitations

• This is a narrative review rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis, so the included studies were not pooled or formally appraised.
• Protocols across studies are heterogeneous, with no agreed-upon timelines, precautions, or exercises.
• The review reports no patient-level outcome statistics such as effect sizes or success rates.
• Phase definitions remain unclear, limiting direct comparison and standardized application.

Why it matters

For patients

Expect a staged recovery moving from protecting the hip to building strength and eventually returning to sport, but understand that exact timelines differ between programs.

For clinicians

A four-phase progression is a reasonable framework, but the lack of a standardized protocol means rehabilitation should be individualized and based on functional milestones.

For readers

There is broad agreement on a phased recovery model after FAIS hip arthroscopy, yet the field still lacks a consistent, well-defined protocol.