What is Hip Arthroscopy?
Hip Arthropscopy is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that uses small incisions and pencil -sized surgical instruments to diagnose and treat certain traumatic and atraumatic problems of the hip. The procedure is similar to knee arthroscopy. A small camera is placed into the hip joint through a 1/4-inch incision. This allows the surgeon to visualize the hip surface. A second small incision allows other surgical instruments to be placed into the joint.
What is the Recovery Time from Hip Arthroscopy?
Patients undergoing hip arthroscopy go home the same day the surgery is performed. They are discharged with crutches to aid initial ambulation, but they can place as much weight as they can tolerate on the affected hip. Because sterile water is used to distend the hip capsule during the procedure, some postoperative pain is to be expected. Patients are sent home with prescription pain medication to help with this pain which should last only a few days. Generally, patients can discard their crutches within a few days of surgery and may return to work within a week or as the pain allows.
Which Patients Should Consider Hip Arthroscopy?
Patients with symptoms of hip pain that have not responded to conservative treatment and have not had a cause demonstrated by standard radiographs, may be candidates for a hip arthroscopy. In addition, sensations of "popping", "snapping", or "clunking" in the hip joint can be treated with an arthroscopic procedure. All of the above symptoms can be caused by a loose body in the hip joint, by a tear in the lining of the rim of the hip socket, or secondary to an inflammatory or degenerative condition in the hip. A preoperative MRI with gadolinium or hip arthrogram can help to confirm the diagnosis of these problems prior to the arthroscopy. Arthroscopy has also been used to diagnose and evaluate diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Perthes Disease, Synovial Chondromatosis, and Ankylosing Spondylitis of the hip.
What are the Results of Hip Arthroscopy?
Patients without arthritis who have acetabular labral tears or loose bodies, often have excellent results. It has been reported that some patients do not improve after excison of diagnosed labral tears or loose bodies. This most commonly occurs in the case of significant, coexistent degenerative arthritis in the hip joint.
Are there any Complications Associated with Hip Arthroscopy?
There are few complications associated with Hip Arthroscopy. Those reported include nerve palsies, traction injuries, non-fatal pulmonary embolism, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). RSD is a rare chronic pain syndrome with uncertain etiology. Potential complications also include bleeding, infection, wound healing problems, and the risks of anesthesia. |
