Hip Arthroscopy

HIP ARTHROSCOPY

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure, which allows rapid post-operative recovery and is useful in the treatment of selected hip disorders in the young, active individual. It allows the surgeon to safely and accurately assess damage to the joint and to perform corrective procedures where required. Special instruments and cameras are passed through small incisions in the skin about the hip.  Prior to the development of arthroscopic techniques, more extensive open procedures with larger incisions were required to access the hip joint.  Many patients with early damage to the hip joint experience symptoms such as pain or catching/clicking, which can be significantly improved with hip arthroscopy.

Arthroscopy can also be used to correct disorders of the hip joint, which, if left untreated, may ultimately lead to the development of osteoarthritis.  Hip arthroscopy is useful for the accurate diagnosis of hip pathology and the assessment of suitability for other joint preservation techniques.  Surgery is only indicated after other sources of pain have been excluded and conservative treatment measures have been exhausted.

  Indications

- Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI)

- Snapping Hip

  • Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome (ITB)
  • Iliopsoas Tendon
  • Labral Tear

- Trochanteric Bursitis

- Loose Bodies

- Cartilage Injuries

- Labral Tears

- Ligamentum Teres Rupture

- Gluteus Medius Tears

- Benign Tumors (Synovial Chondromatosis, Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS), and Osteochondroma)

A thorough evaluation of the lumbosacral spine (sacroilitits, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease), abdomen (hernia, abdominal aortic aneurysm), knee (arthritis or malaignment), and neurovascular examination (periperharl vascular disease) of the affected extremity will be performed to exclude peripheral sources of referred pain.  

Recovery time is dependent on the patient and the procedure performed. Dedicated physical therapy is essential to the success of the surgery to regain joint function and muscular control.

To learn more about various conditions that can affect the hip please contact Dr. Langer for a consultation.