Hip Arthroscopy: Current Indications, Treatment Options, and Management Issues

The management of hip injuries in athletes has evolved significantly in the past few years with the advancement of arthroscopic techniques. The application of minimally invasive surgical techniques has facilitated relatively rapid returns to sporting activity in both recreational and elite athletes. Recent advancements in both hip arthroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging have elucidated several sources of intraarticular abnormalities that result in chronic and disabling hip symptoms. Many of these conditions were previously unrecognized and, thus, left untreated. Current indications for hip arthroscopy include the presence of symptomatic acetabular labral tears, hip capsule laxity and instability, chondral lesions, osteochondritis dissecans, ligamentum teres injuries, snapping hip syndrome, iliopsoas bursitis, and loose bodies (for example, synovial chondromatosis). Less common indications include management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, bony impingment, synovial abnormalities, crystalline hip arthropathy (gout and pseudogout), infection, and posttraumatic intraarticular debris. In rare cases, hip arthroscopy can be used to temporize the symptoms of mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis with associated mechanical symptoms. This article discusses the current clinical and radiographic methods to detect early hip joint disease and the current indications and surgical techniques of hip arthroscopy.