LAUSR

Young adult hip pain is increasingly recognized as an early warning sign for development of debilitating arthritis later in life. Two common causes for young adult hip pain are femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and dysplasia. Yet, no universal referral pathway exists in the UK for young patients experiencing hip pain. Our aim was to investigate the timeline and journey of patients seen in a specialist young adult hip clinic at a tertiary orthopaedic centre. We conducted a case series using a two-part open question questionnaire given to 40 patients at a young adult hip clinic at a tertiary orthopaedic centre between March and November 2019. Average time from onset of symptoms to appointment in specialist clinic was 2.9 (± 3.9) years, with range between 1 month and 23 years. Average time between first GP appointment and appointment at a tertiary centre was 2.1 (±2.4) years. A total of 33 (83%) patients were seen in secondary care prior to referral to a specialist clinic at a tertiary centre. Imaging modalities prior to attendance were as follows: 23 (58%) patients had a hip X-ray, 15 (38%) a CT scan, 30 (75%) an MRI scan and 6 (15%) an ultrasound scan of their hip. A total of 23 (58%) patients had corticosteroid injections prior to referral to a specialist clinic. Large variation seen in our results highlights an opportunity for service improvement and development of a universal referral pathway to improve patient care and reduce burden on other services.