Hip arthroscopy
Hip arthroscopy means looking inside the hip joint and examining it with long telescopic cameras called arthroscopes. It is performed under general or regional anaesthesia in an operating theatre under sterile conditions. With regional anaesthesia, both legs are numbed by an injection in the lower back and the operation is done without putting the patient to sleep. For arthroscopy, 2 or 3 small incisions are made around the hip, and the surgical procedures are performed with a camera and instruments inserted into the hip joint through these entry holes.
The advantages of hip arthroscopy can be summarised as follows: because it is performed through small holes, recovery after surgery is shorter than with open methods. Because the joint is not cut open, the risk of infection is lower. Because it is done through small holes, the patient feels less pain after surgery. It also speeds up the return to sport, especially for athletes.
Which conditions can be treated with hip arthroscopy?
Although hip arthroscopy is a newer method, it is now frequently used. The most common hip problems – cartilage (labral) tears, cartilage injuries, bony prominences and impingement syndromes – are treated arthroscopically. Removal of loose cartilage fragments inside the hip is also possible arthroscopically, as is the treatment of synovitis, an overgrowth of the joint lining that causes catching and pain.
What are the complications of arthroscopy?
Although arthroscopy is a closed method, it has a low rate of complications. These can be summarised as: infection in the joint; thromboembolism (clots formed in the leg veins travelling to other organs and blocking vessels); damage to cartilage during surgery; and numbness in the leg and inner thigh after surgery. The surgeon and anaesthetist take the necessary precautions to prevent these complications. Getting the patient moving early after surgery and working to restore physical activity minimises possible complications.
Hip osteoarthritis
Hip impingement syndrome
The information on this page is for general information only and does not replace an examination and diagnosis.