What is Hip Arthroscopy?

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure, also known as Keyhole surgery of the hip joint, and it is diagnostic arthroscopic hip surgery. It is done to sight, assess, diagnose and treat a range of hip joint complications.

What are the reasons to go for Hip Arthroscopy?

There is a wide diversity of reasons that can lead to a hip complication and the symptoms vary depending on the pathologies in the hip joint. Some of the symptoms that may be eligible for hip arthroscopy are listed below.

• Sudden leg - giving way
• Clicking within the hip joint.
• Pain in the hip/groin.
• Discomfort in moving the hip in certain positions.

Tests and Diagnosis before Hip Arthroscopy

Your physician will conduct all the routine blood tests to rule out infection, and your surgeon may ask for CT/MRI scan to look closer at the anatomy, and bone scans to help in determining the loose components. Aspiration of the joint is rarely done to diagnose or rule out infection.

What are the most conditions treated by Hip arthroscopy?

The hip arthroscopy technique can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of various hip complications to preserve the hip or to reduce pain. A few of such conditions that are commonly used are listed below.

• Arthritis: Sometimes, the primary stages of arthritis can be associated with loose bodies or flaps of articular cartilage. Debriding such abnormal areas can often improve symptoms for a short time, until a more definitive treatment procedure.
• For Diagnosis or treatment: Occasionally, investigations such as CT and MRI will not be able to identify the cause of a problem in the hip. In such special cases, hip arthroscopy is very helpful to view, locate, diagnose, or treat the condition.
• Biopsy: For certain conditions of the hip, a sample of tissue or bone biopsy from the hip area is taken to be analyzed. Hip arthroscopy allows this to be done quite easily. Accurate diagnostic results play a crucial role in an effective treatment plan.
• Femoracetabular impingement: This is a disorder or a condition when there is an abnormal shape to the femoral head or the acetabulum (socket) and at times both. This can give rise to damage to the hip joint. It may be possible to deal with some aspects of such condition arthroscopically by trimming abnormal bone structures from the femoral head/neck junction.
• Torn Labrum: The labrum of the acetabulum is a cartilage rim of the joint that helps provide a suction seal for the fluid in the joint. For certain complications, the labrum can get torn and lead to episodes of acute pain in the hip or the feeling of the leg giving way. Such torn segments of the cartilage can be trimmed back to healthy tissue.
• Loose bodies: Loose pieces of cartilage or bone can sometimes form in the joint for a variety of reasons. Such small pieces can get caught between the bone surfaces leading to pain. These can be very effectively removed by hip arthroscopy.
• Ligamentum Teres injury: For a few people, a strong ligament with the hip joint can get torn. This leads to severe pain, and such conditions can be trimmed back arthroscopically so that it does not cause problems.

What to expect after Arthroscopic Hip Surgery?

Post-operative care

Post-operative care is very crucial for a quick recovery. Following hip arthroscopy, you will have to spend a night in hospital. You will most likely have to use crutches for a few weeks following surgery. Full recovery can take up to 6-9 months of time. To help aid your recovery, regular exercises are highly recommended, according to your physiotherapist's suggestions. Regular exercise can also help you to return to normal activities as soon as possible.

What are the advantages of Hip Arthroscopy?

The main benefit of hip arthroscopy surgery is its ability to locate the site of damage and its precision to confirm accurately the problematic cause. In numerous cases, it is used to treat the problem while diagnosing it. Hip arthroscopy is also a minimally invasive procedure than traditional hip replacement surgery and often involves nominal scarring and a quicker recovery.

What are the risks or complication?

Every surgery has some risks and complications. It is a minimally invasive procedure and is generally a safe technique, however, some of the possible complications are listed below.

• Infection in the surgical wound
• Unattractive scarring
• Bleeding into the hip joint Infection
• Unexplained pain and discomfort
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Stiffness and loss of use of the arm and hand
• Damage to nerves
• Damage to tendons
• Intolerance to anesthetics and pain medication