Open Surgical Repair of Proximal Hamstring Tears Results in High Rates of Hamstring Strength Recovery and Return to Preinjury Activity.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical and patient-reported outcomes after open operative management of proximal hamstring ruptures.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review was completed for patients who underwent open surgical repair of a proximal hamstring rupture at a single academic center (The Ottawa Hospital) with a minimum of 1-year follow-up between June 2017 and August 2022. Demographic, injury, and surgical data were collected. Patient-reported outcomes, including the Lower Extremity Function Score and International Hip Outcome Tool, at final follow-up were collected and analyzed for all patients.

RESULTS

A total of 41 patients (58.5% men) with a mean age of 49.5 ± 11.7 years (range: 20-70 years old) with a mean follow-up of 46.8 ± 17.6 months (range 13-74 months) were included in the study. The most common mechanism of injury (31.7%) was a fall while skating or skiing. A 3-tendon injury was the most common pattern (82.9%), with the majority being retracted at least 6 cm (51.2%). Postoperative complications were observed in 12.2% of patients and included sensory nerve injury, repair failure, and postoperative admission for intractable pain. Most patients regained full hamstring strength (87.8%) and returned to preinjury activity levels (70.7%), with a mean follow-up of 46.8 months. Patient-reported outcomes at final follow-up were excellent, as 87.8% of the patients scored >90 on Lower Extremity Function Score and 82.9% scored >90 on International Hip Outcome Tool.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, patients who underwent open surgical repair of proximal hamstring tendon avulsion had high rates of hamstring strength recovery and return to preinjury activity, with favorable patient-reported outcomes and low complication rates.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic retrospective study.