2-Year clinical outcomes following combined iliotibial band and gluteus medius percutaneous ultrasound tenotomy in refractory GTPS.

Background: Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome (GTPS) is a common cause of chronic lateral hip pain, often refractory to conservative medical management (CMM). Combined percutaneous ultrasound-guided tenotomy (PUT) of the gluteus medius (GMed) and iliotibial band (ITB) has shown promising one-year results, but data on long-term outcomes remain limited. This study evaluates two-year clinical outcomes in patients undergoing combined GMed and ITB PUT for recalcitrant GTPS. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 69 patients (79 hips) treated with combined GMed and ITB PUT between January 2022 and August 2023. Baseline and follow-up data, collected for an average of 2-year, were obtained through chart review and structured phone interviews. The primary outcome was ≥50 % reduction in Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores. Secondary outcomes included side-lying tolerance, sitting-to-standing ability, responder rate and need for additional hip interventions. Responder status required both pain reduction and complete side-lying tolerance. Statistical significance was evaluated using paired t-tests with p < 0.05. Results: Median baseline Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score was 10 interquartile range (IQR 9-10), decreasing significantly to 2 (IQR 1-4) at 1, 6, and 12 months, then increasing to 6 (IQR 4-10) at 24 months (p < 0.001 vs. baseline). Rates of ≥50 % improvement in NRS were 88.6 % at 1 month, 89.6 % at 6 months, 83.0 % at 12 months, and 59.5 % at 24 months. Side-lying tolerance improved from 21.5 % hips at baseline to 88.9 % reporting improvement at 1 month and 55.7 % at 24 months (p < 0.001). Sitting-to-standing ability showed sustained improvement at 81.0 % at 24 months. Composite responder rate declined from 88.6 % at 1 month to 57.0 % at 24 months. Subsequent invasive interventions were required in a minority of cases (2.5 % total hip arthroplasty; 11.4 % repeat TENEX). Conclusion: Combined PUT of the GMed and ITB provides durable pain relief and functional improvement in patients with refractory GTPS at two years post-procedure. Despite declining responder rates over time, this minimally invasive dual-target technique demonstrates a favorable safety profile and may delay or reduce the need for more invasive surgery. Further prospective studies are warranted to optimize patient selection and validate long-term efficacy.