Pudendal Nerve Palsy Common After Hip Arthroscopy, Linked to Traction
A cohort study of 93 patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy with a perineal post found that 83% experienced symptoms consistent with pudendal nerve palsy postoperatively, including perineal numbness, paresthesia, and urogenital or sexual dysfunction. The study reported that 26% had persistent symptoms at 3 months and 14% at 6 months, with all symptoms resolved by 12 months; greater traction force and longer traction duration were associated with higher odds of palsy, and symptom persistence beyond 6 weeks correlated with lower iHOT-33 hip outcome scores at 6 months.