The hip joint can develop conditions which do not necessitate a hip replacement. However, many of these conditions don’t respond to treatment such as physical therapy, injections, and activity modification. One of those conditions occurs when the labrum tears. The labrum is a ring of tissue that surrounds the hip and deepens the socket. When it tears it can cause pain. The hip can also develop bone spurs on the socket or a build-up of bone on the femur. If enough bone forms when the hip moves around the two areas can come together. This is called hip impingement. Sometimes during the early phases of arthritis or if there has been a traumatic event, pieces of cartilage can break away from the bone. This results in either loose bodies (debris) in the hip joint or rough cartilage surfaces in the hip. When any of these conditions fail to respond to nonoperative treatment and the pain or mechanical symptoms (popping, locking, giving way) are causing enough impairment, hip arthroscopy can be beneficial. The hip joint can be debrided (cleaned out) and the labrum debrided or repaired. The extra bone can be removed. Hip Arthroscopy is generally performed through two or three small incisions. A tiny camera is used and the damaged structures are addressed with small instruments. Patients can go home the same day.
