Table 3

Treatment of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome/labral injury: effect and grading the quality of evidence

Between-group difference
(95% CI)		Effect size
LargeMediumSmallTrivial
Prescribed physiotherapy vs operative treatment     
 Meta-analysis      
iHOT-33 at 8–12 months follow-up; n=57420 11.02 points (4.83; 17.21) in favour of surgery, I2=43%, Hedges g=0.41  Moderate quality of evidence 
 Randomised controlled trial      
iHOT-33 at 24 months follow-up; n=8070 6.3 points (−6.1; 18.7) in favour of surgery, Hedges g=0.23  Low quality of evidence 
iHOT-33 at 12 months follow-up; n=9081 12.11 points (3.27; 20.96) in favour of surgery, Hedges g=0.61 Moderate quality of evidence  
Prescribed physiotherapy vs passive modalities, stretching and/or advice     
 Meta-analysis      
IHOT-33 and NAHS at 12 weeks follow-up; n=5414 Hedges g=0.66 (0.09; 1.23) in favour of prescribed physiotherapy, I2=0% Low quality of evidence  
 Randomised controlled trial      
HOOS-Sport at 6 weeks follow-up at; n=3573 9.4 points (0.1; 18.8) in favour of prescribed physiotherapy,
Hedges g=0.46		  Very low quality of evidence 
Comparison between different physiotherapy interventions     
 Randomised controlled trial      
iHOT-12 at 8 weeks follow-up; core and hip exercises vs hip exercises; n=2474 25.7 point (11.44; 39.96) in favour of core and hip exercises,
Hedges g=1.14		Very low quality of evidence   
HOOS-Sport at 12 weeks follow-up; standard training vs ’movement pattern’ training; n=4622 3.69 points (−4.36; 11.74) in favour of standard training, Hedges g=0.19   Low quality of evidence
HOOS-Sport at 52 weeks follow-up; standard training vs ‘movement pattern’ training; n=4680 9.70 points (−2.19; 21.59) in favour of ‘movement pattern’ training,
Hedges g=0.53		 Very low quality of evidence  
HOS-Sport at 6 weeks follow-up; hip exercises at home vs manual therapy and supervised physiotherapy; n=1872 21.1 points (−9.1; 51.3) in favour of hip exercises, Hedges g=1.27Very low quality of evidence   
Preoperative physiotherapy vs massage therapy     
 Randomised controlled trial      
NAHS at 12 weeks follow-up after surgery; n=1879 No difference; raw values not reported   Very low quality of evidence
Prescribed postoperative physiotherapy vs advice     
 Meta-analysis      
iHOT-33 at 12–14 weeks follow-up; n=4714 14.37 points (2.98; 25.77) in favour of prescribed physiotherapy,
I2=0%, Hedges g=0.67		 Low quality of evidence  
 Randomised controlled trial      
iHOT-33 at 24 weeks follow-up; n=2878 7.1 points (−5.5; 19.6) in favour of prescribed physiotherapy,
Hedges g=0.38		  Low quality of evidence 

  • I2 (heterogeneity in study results); Hedges g assessed as trivial (g<0.2), small (g≥0.2), medium (g≥0.5) and large (g≥0.8).

  • HOOS, Hip Osteoarthritis Outcome Score; HOS, Hip Outcome Score; IHOT, International Hip Outcome Tool; NAHS, Non-Arthritic Hip Score.