Background: Iliopsoas impingement (IPI) is an increasingly recognized cause of persistent groin pain following total hip arthroplasty (THA), often resulting from mechanical conflict between the iliopsoas tendon and the anterior rim of the acetabular component. Despite its clinical relevance, risk factors contributing to IPI remain poorly defined. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies were eligible if they evaluated adult patients undergoing primary THA and reported at least one risk factor associated with IPI. Only studies with a clearly defined clinical diagnosis of IPI were included. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed independently by two reviewers. Risk of bias in each study was assessed through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: Twelve observational studies met the inclusion criteria. Diagnosis of IPI was based on clinical symptoms of anterior groin pain exacerbated by hip flexion; 9 studies confirmed diagnosis with anesthetic injections. Key surgical risk factors included anterior cup prominence (ORs 1.16–35.20), oversized cups (cup-to-head ratio > 1.2, OR = 5.39, or ≥6 mm difference, OR = 26.00), decreased cup inclination, collared stem protrusion (OR = 13.89), and acetabular screw protrusion > 6.4 mm. Patient-specific risk factors included female sex (ORs 2.56, 2.79), higher BMI (OR = 1.07), younger age, previous hip arthroscopy (OR = 9.60) and spinal fusion (OR = 4.60). The anterolateral approach was also associated with higher IPI risk when compared to the posterior approach (OR = 4.20). Conclusions: IPI after THA is a multifactorial complication influenced by modifiable surgical variables and patient-specific anatomy. Careful preoperative planning, precise implant positioning, and attention to individual risk factors are essential to reduce IPI incidence and improve outcomes.

Background: Acetabular microfractures for cartilage lesions have been shown to be a safe procedure able to improve patient reported outcomes (PROs). Nevertheless, the return to sport activity rate represents a crucial outcome to be investigated in these young athletic patients. Methods: Patients undergoing acetabular microfracture for full chondral acetabular lesions were compared to a 1:1 matched-pair by age and gender control group undergoing hip arthroscopy without microfractures. Clinical assessment was performed with PROs and participation in sports in terms of type and level of activities was evaluated preoperatively and at 2-years follow-up. Results: A total of 62 patients with an average age of 35.1 ± 8.1 (microfracture group) and 36.4 ± 6.3 (control group) were included. In both groups, the average values of PROs significantly increased from preoperatively to the last follow-up. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the number of patients playing at the amateur and elite level preoperatively and at the last follow-up. Conclusions: Microfractures for the management of full-thickness acetabular chondral defect provides good clinical results at a minimum follow-up of two years, which are not inferior to a matched-pair control group. Patients undergoing this procedure are likely able to return at the same level of sport before surgery.

Background: Long-term survivorship in total hip arthroplasty (THA) is influenced by implant stability and stress distribution to surrounding bone. Isoelastic acetabular components are monoblock polyethylene cups with a low elastic modulus, which were developed to reduce stress shielding and enhance periacetabular bone preservation. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the mid- to long-term clinical outcomes, wear rate, and survivorship of isoelastic cups in primary THA with a minimum follow-up of five years. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search was performed in April 2025 across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Inclusion criteria comprised clinical studies on isoelastic acetabular cups in primary THA with a minimum of five years of follow-up. Data on survivorship, complications, clinical outcomes, wear, and radiological performance were extracted and analyzed. Risk of bias in each study was assessed through the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies and the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool for randomized controlled trials. Results: Twelve studies, encompassing 1491 hips, met the inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up was 8.1 years. Overall implant survival rate ranged from 82.7% to 100%. Mean Harris Hip Score was 92.6, with low reported pain and high satisfaction. Mean annual wear was 0.05 mm/year. Vitamin E-infused highly cross-linked polyethylene (VEHXLPE) cups demonstrated lower femoral head penetration compared to UHMWPE. A randomized trial showed reduced bone loss in the polar region with isoelastic cups versus modular titanium cups (4.9% versus 15.9%, p = 0.005). Complication and revision rates were low, though heterogeneity in cup positioning reporting and variable follow-up durations were noted. Conclusions: Isoelastic acetabular components demonstrate excellent survivorship, low wear rates, and favorable clinical outcomes at mid- to long-term follow-up. High-quality, long-term comparative studies are needed to confirm these findings across broader patient populations.

Background and Objectives: Patient blood management (PBM) strategies are effective in reducing transfusion requirements and improving perioperative outcomes in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic profoundly disrupted hospital organization and limited the application of established PBM protocols. This study assessed the impact of COVID-19-related organizational disruption on PBM implementation and perioperative outcomes in primary total hip and knee arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: This monocentric retrospective study included consecutive patients undergoing primary unilateral THA or TKA between January 2019 and February 2023. Patients were stratified into three periods: pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19, and post-COVID-19. Primary outcomes included transfusion rate, allocated RBC units, PRM transfer, hospital length of stay, and postoperative day-4 hemoglobin levels. Secondary outcomes were factors associated with postoperative day-4 hemoglobin and PRM admission. Results: A total of 5789 patients were included: 1889 in the pre-COVID-19 period, 1416 during COVID-19, and 2484 post-COVID-19. Despite reduced PBM implementation during the COVID-19 period, postoperative Hb levels and transfusion rates remained stable across groups. The number of allocated red blood cell units increased without a corresponding rise in transfusion rates, suggesting a precautionary allocation strategy. A descriptive reduction in median length of stay was observed in the post-COVID-19 phase. A significant decrease in the proportion of patients transferred to Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine departments during the COVID-19 and in the post-COVID-19 period was observed. Multivariable analysis identified age, BMI, preoperative Hb, sex, procedure type, IVFCM administration, and transfusion as predictors of postoperative day-4 Hb, while age, IVFCM administration, transfusion, procedure type, and study period were associated with PRM admission. Conclusions: Despite major organizational disruption, perioperative hemoglobin levels and transfusion rates remained stable, while hospital length of stay decreased. These findings may partly reflect strict selection of already optimized patients; however, this strategy is not equivalent to structured PBM and cannot be generalized to an unselected arthroplasty population.

Purpose: Sarcopenia has emerged as a potential prognostic factor for postoperative complications, functional recovery, patient-reported outcomes, and healthcare costs in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This systematic review aimed to evaluate its impact on these outcomes following primary TKA. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261320013). PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched up to 1 December 2025. Comparative clinical studies including sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients undergoing primary TKA and reporting postoperative outcomes were included. Methodological quality was assessed using the MINORS tool. Due to heterogeneity in study design, diagnostic criteria, and outcome measures, a narrative synthesis was performed. Results: Nine studies including more than 93,000 patients were analyzed. Sarcopenia prevalence ranged from 7.7% to 25%. Sarcopenic patients demonstrated higher rates of postoperative complications, including medical events, blood transfusion, falls, fractures, reoperations, and implant-related complications. Functional recovery was delayed, particularly in patients with sarcopenic obesity, with slower improvements in range of motion and gait speed. Although both groups improved after TKA, short- to mid-term patient-reported outcomes were often inferior in sarcopenic patients, while long-term differences were less consistent. Sarcopenia was also associated with longer hospital stay and increased healthcare costs. Conclusions: Sarcopenia is associated with worse postoperative outcomes following primary TKA and may represent a modifiable risk factor for perioperative optimization.