Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41942160›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Effectiveness of a structured physical therapist-led intervention compared to usual care in people with longstanding hip and groin pain referred to orthopaedic care in Sweden: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (the HIPSTER trial).

August Estberger, Joanne Kemp, Kristian Thorborg, Ioannis Kostogiannis, Anders Pålsson, Eva Ageberg

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05853640 (Patients With Longstanding HIP and Groin Pain Referred to Orthopedic Care), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05853640 narecruitingnot on this map

Patients With Longstanding HIP and Groin Pain Referred to Orthopedic Care: Effectiveness of Education and exerciSe ThERapy (HIPSTER)

TypeinterventionalSponsorLund UniversityRan2023 to 2030Enrolled122ConditionsHip Pain Chronic, Femoro Acetabular Impingement, Groin InjuryArmsUsual care, HIPSTER
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

August EstbergerDepartment of Health Sciences, Lund University Faculty of Medicine, Lund, Skåne County, Sweden august.estberger@med.lu.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2160-0091
Joanne KempLa Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University School of Allied Health Human Services and Sport, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9234-1923
Kristian ThorborgDepartment of Health Sciences, Lund University Faculty of Medicine, Lund, Skåne County, Sweden.
Ioannis KostogiannisDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Lund University Faculty of Medicine, Lund, Skåne County, Sweden.
Anders PålssonDepartment of Health Sciences, Lund University Faculty of Medicine, Lund, Skåne County, Sweden.
Eva AgebergDepartment of Health Sciences, Lund University Faculty of Medicine, Lund, Skåne County, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPeople with longstanding hip and groin pain (LHGP) are often referred to orthopaedic care. Physical therapist-led interventions are recommended in consensus statements as the first line of treatment, but it is unknown if structured interventions are more effective than usual care. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured physical therapist-led treatment model (HIPSTER) compared with usual care on hip-related quality of life at 4 months for people with LHGP referred to orthopaedic care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a preregistered (clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05853640) study protocol for a double-blinded two-armed pragmatic randomised controlled trial. Patients with LHGP (n=122), referred to the Department of Orthopaedics at a university hospital in Sweden, will be randomised into the HIPSTER model or usual care. The HIPSTER model is a 16-week structured, individualised progressive treatment using exercise therapy and patient education. Usual care consists of a recommendation to contact a physical therapist in primary care. Both groups will undergo standard examinations and a surgical consultation at the Department of Orthopaedics. The primary outcome will be the mean group change in the International Hip Outcome Tool from baseline to 4 months, according to intention-to-treat principles. Secondary outcomes include patient-reported outcomes (such as perceived improvement, psychological factors and physical activity), physical impairment tests and radiographic measures. Additional time points will be 1, 2 and 5 years after baseline. Subgroups of patients will complete semistructured interviews and report additional data on psychosocial variables to provide more information on patient experience as well as determinants of adherence. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Swedish Ethical Review Authority approved this study (Dnr 202205023-01). The results of this study will be published, regardless of results, in scientific journals and as plain language summaries for participants. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05853640.

Indexed as

Exercise TherapyGroinHipPhysical TherapistsAdultDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHip JointHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient Education as TopicPragmatic Clinical Trials as TopicQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicReferral and ConsultationHipMusculoskeletal disordersREHABILITATION MEDICINE

Identifiers

PMID41942160
PMCPMC13055333

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.