What is hip arthroscopy?
Hip arthroscopy involves the use of an arthroscope to visualize the inner workings of the hip joint through a minimally invasive technique. Once general or spinal anesthesia has been achieved, traction is applied to the hip so that the femoral head (ball portion of the hip joint) is slightly distracted out of the acetabulum (socket portion of the hip joint). The amount of distraction is closely monitored during surgery with the use of X-ray. Two to three incisions, each measuring ½ inch in length, are placed over the outer aspect of the hip with the patient positioned on their side. Specialized instrumentation for hip arthroscopy is utilized to visualize the interior of the hip joint. Hip arthroscopy permits the surgeon to diagnose and treat a wide array of problems within the hip, which in the recent past has required extensive incisions and surgical exposure that prolonged recovery.
