Hip Arthroscopy: Technique and Indications

The recent advances in hip arthroscopy have made it a useful minimally invasive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular hip pathology. It offers the benefits of being an outpatient procedure with short rehabilitation and few reported complications and does not hinder opportunities for future surgical interventions. The lateral approach has been widely accepted, and technical details are discussed. Patients typically present with mechanical symptoms and persistent pain resistant to a reasonable trial of conservative treatment and are without significant joint space narrowing. Indications include debridement of labral lesions and loose bodies as well as treatment of impingement syndrome and avascular necrosis. Arthroscopy has also proven a useful tool in evaluation components in symptomatic patients after hip arthroplasty and in the treatment of native and replacement joint infections.