Hip Arthroscopy is performed to diagnose and treat hip pain and helps the patient to regain active lifestyle by preventing hip pain.
The Procedure
During the procedure the surgeon inserts an arthrosope (a small camera) into the hip joint of the patient through a small incision. The small camera on the scope displays pictures of the hip joint on a video monitor, which allows the surgeon to inspect the joint and find the source of the pain. In order to perform the surgery the surgeon makes an additional small incisions to create access points for the miniature surgical instruments. The camera on the arthroscope also helps the surgeon to guide these surgical instruments. By using these instruments the surgeon trim, cut, smooth and stitch the damaged area.
Conditions Treated
A Hip Arthroscopy relieves painful symptoms of a wide range of hip problems. The following are some of the conditions treated using Hip Arthroscopy:
- Hip joint infection (treated using washouts)
- Synovitis (treated by removing the inflamed tissues)
- Snapping hip syndromes
- Dysplasia
- Loose Body (removing cartilage, bone or other loose tissue to prevent further damage to the hip)Fermoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
- Bone Cysts (filled or removed with a bone graft)
- Labral Tears (the torn labrum is stabilized and reattached using special anchors)
- Abnormal Ball (the ball will be reshaped by removing the abnormal ball which prevents further impingement and also improves the range of motion)
- Abnormal Socket (the abnormal bone is removed and reshaped)
- Ligamentum teres Tears (the flamed tissues will be removed and it is tightened, trimmed and stabilized)
Benefits of Hip Arthroscopy
The advantages of Hip Arthroscopy over open hip surgery includes the following:
- Short recovery time
- Minimal blood loss, pain and scarring
- Mostly conducted on an outpatient basis
- Delay the need of total hip replacement
- Improve joint stability
- Delay the onset of Osteoarthritis
