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1 LH Hiranandani Hospital, Mumbai, India
2 Cambridge Hip and Knee Unit, Cambridge, UK
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Vijay D Shetty
LH Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, Mumbai 400076, India; vijay{at}vijaydshetty.com
Accepted 28 August 2006
ABSTRACT
Diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular hip problems in young patients present a challenge to hip surgeons. Previous studies have shown that non-invasive investigations such as radiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging provide limited help. Non-operative treatment is likely to result in persistent symptoms, and surgical options for intra-articular hip problems involve open arthrotomy of the hip joint, which carries potential risks associated with joint dislocation. Arthroscopy of the hip joint, therefore, seems to be an attractive option. It was once thought that introduction of a straight arthroscope into the ball-and-socket hip joint was almost impossible. Hip arthroscopy has seen several advances since then, and the speed at which it developed in recent years directly corresponded to the rate at which the conditions affecting the hip joint were identified. Athletes and other young individuals with hip injuries are increasingly being diagnosed with an ever evolving series of conditions. Many of these conditions were previously unrecognised and thus left untreated, resulting in premature ends to the patients competitive careers. Hip arthroscopy, as with any procedure, is not without risks. The procedure is not widely available as it requires specialist equipment and takes a long time to learn. Complications are few, occurring in <5% of patients.
Abbreviations: FAI, femoroacetabular impingement; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
Diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular hip problems in young patients present a challenge. Historically, there have been limited diagnostic and treatment options available for diseases that affect the cartilage, bone or synovium in the young hip joint. Provocative manoeuvres to diagnose a hip problem are unreliable owing to extreme apprehension, and non-invasive investigations provide limited help with the diagnosis of these conditions. Radiographs have traditionally been poor at detecting early lesions in the hip. Other imaging studies have not been very reliable either, as a negative imaging study does not exclude important intra-articular pathologies.1 Although gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is much more sensitive than conventional MRI for detecting intra-articular lesions,2 limitations do exist with these investigations, as previous studies have shown.3,4 Diagnostic hip blocks are useful to distinguish between intra-articular and extra-articular lesions,5 but they provide information on the generality of intra-articular problems rather than specific lesions within the ball-and-socket joint.
Although open surgeries of the hip joint are performed more routinely and successfully, they are not without potential risks associated with joint dislocation, infection, deep vein thrombosis, avascular necrosis, major nerve or vessel injury, heterotopic bone and muscle weakness.68 Non-operative treatment is likely to result in persistent symptoms. Keyhole surgery of the hip joint, therefore, seems to be an attractive option.
It was once thought that the introduction of an arthroscope into a hip joint was almost impossible. In 1931, Burman9 stated that "It is manifestly impossible to insert a needle between the head of the femur and the acetabulum". Hip arthroscopy has seen several advances since then. The speed at which it developed in recent years directly corresponded to the rate at which the conditions affecting the hip joint were identified. The advent of hip arthroscopy has facilitated comprehensive access to an evolving series of conditions that affect the hip joint, many of which were previously unrecognised and thus left untreated.10 Today, arthroscopy of the hip joint has led to a greater understanding of the nature of adolescent and adult hip pathologies of acetabular labrum, acetabular chondral surfaces, fovea, ligamentum teres, femoral head and adjacent synovium,5 and their management, particularly in hip injuries in athletes.
Having been used minimally in the 1980s, hip arthroscopy has a recent history. Our understanding of arthroscopic anatomy, indications, potential complications and techniques has evolved in recent years, and hip arthroscopy has become a successful treatment method for a variety of hip pathologies in selected patients. It is hoped that this article will shed light on the most recent concepts and developments in this ever evolving technique.
TECHNIQUE
Preoperative planning is important for hip arthroscopy. The range of movement of the hip must be assessed to determine the presence of fixed deformities. Radiographs should be completed to identify spurs or dysplasia. Entry into the joint may become difficult if there are large spurs, and dysplastic hips have been shown to have poorer outcomes.
In our institution, hip arthroscopy is performed in the lateral position with the patient under general anaesthesia, under image intensifier control and traction (fig 1
). In some centres, the procedure is performed with the patient in the supine position.11 We believe that the lateral position provides enhanced instrument manoeuvrability, easier entry into the hip joint and particularly helps in obese patients, as fatty tissue tends to fall out of the way. The traction apparatus includes a foot piece and a stretcher to hold the leg, a well-padded perineal post for counter traction, and a tensiometer to gauge the amount of traction applied (fig 1
).
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Understanding the arthroscopic anatomy of the hip joint is essential before embarking on hip arthroscopy. During the procedure, the hip joint is systematically inspected so as to view every possible part and detect any abnormalities. An arthroscopic pump is used throughout to maintain constant distension of the joint with saline solution. A 70° arthroscope is used most commonly for hip arthroscopy, although a 30° arthroscope is also useful. Most hip arthroscopy procedures require the use of multiple portals for the proper positioning of hand instruments, power shavers and electrocautery devices. At the end of the procedure, traction is removed carefully under the direct supervision of the operating surgeon. The average imaging time in our institution is 10 s and the procedure takes roughly 40 min.
FINDINGS AT HIP ARTHROSCOPY
Acetabular labral injuries
Previous reports have suggested that injuries of the acetabular labrum (fig 2
) are mostly due to degenerative change in the hip (50%) or trauma (20%).1215 When the damaged labral cartilage is subjected to repetitive loading conditions, joint fluid is pumped beneath the acetabular chondral cartilage, causing delamination (fig 3
) of the articular cartilage.15 As a result, the fluid eventually burrows beneath the subchondral bone to form a subchondral cyst.15 Traumatic acetabular labral injuries commonly occur in the presence of abnormal proximal femoral or acetabular anatomy,16 or during abnormal loading, as may be seen in the hips of professional sportsmen.17,18 Studies have shown that most labral injuries occur at the anterior marginal attachment of the acetabulum,18,19 although injury to the posterosuperior aspect of the labrum has been reported in an adolescent Asian population by Ikeda et al.20 Often, injuries of the acetabular labrum are associated with congenital or structural abnormalities such as acetabular dysplasia, slipped upper femoral epiphysis or Perthes disease.21 Studies have also shown that labral tears are linked to the onset of hip impingement, now termed "femoroacetabular impingement" (FAI).15,2224
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What is already known on this topic
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INDICATIONS FOR HIP ARTHROSCOPY
The difficulty in diagnosing all the above lesions with conventional methods and in determining their effect on outcome provides a substantial rationale for hip arthroscopy.5 Current indications for hip arthroscopy include the presence of symptomatic acetabular labral tears, femoroacetabular impingement, chondral lesions, osteochondritis dissecans, ligamentum teres injuries, snapping hip syndrome, iliopsoas bursitis and loose bodies. Less common indications include management of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, synovial abnormalities, crystalline hip arthropathy (gout and pseudogout), infection and post-traumatic intra-articular debris. In rare cases, hip arthroscopy can be used to temporise the symptoms of mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis with associated mechanical symptoms.10 Patient selection is an important issue for a potentially successful outcome. General parameters include younger patients, mechanical joint symptoms, partial joint space preservation, adequate rotational motion, failure of conservative treatment, and reasonable expectations from the patient.36 Arthroscopic evaluation may also be considered when joint symptoms are unremitting, and no diagnosis has been made. If the symptoms have been present for >6 months, one can expect an arthroscopy-facilitated diagnosis in approximately 40% of these patients.37
Conditions that limit the potential for hip distraction may preclude arthroscopy. These include joint ankylosis, dense heterotopic bone formation, considerable protrusion and morbid obesity, not only because of distraction limitations but also because of the requisite length of instruments necessary to access and manoeuvre within the deeply receded joint. In addition, sepsis with accompanying osteomyelitis or abscess formation requires open surgery.
PROBLEMS WITH HIP ARTHROSCOPY
Hip arthroscopy is technically demanding owing to both anatomical and technical constraints, and involves a steep learning curve.5 The hip joint is deeply recessed in a soft-tissue envelope and the femoral head is contained in a concavely shaped acetabulum.38 The joint capsule, especially the iliofemoral ligament, is thick and resists traction for joint distraction. Sufficient joint distraction is paramount, and Byrd et al39 described a vacuum phenomenon that occurs after the initial application of traction. The magnitude of the force required to provide sufficient distraction has been reported to be between 300 and 900 N in an anaesthetised patient.40 Guhl et al41 and Glick et al42 suggested that a longitudinal force of at least 20 kg may be required to obtain a good view of the joint. With increased traction, neurovascular structures are susceptible to injury leading to complications.43
What this study adds
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Complications occur in 0.55% of patients and are most often related to transient neuropraxia due to distraction of the joint.4446 Injuries to the sciatic nerve (posterior portal), lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (anterolateral portal) and pudendal nerves have been reported in the literature.42,47,48 However, the effects of traction on the integrity of the joint capsule, the ligamentum teres and the acetabular labrum remain unknown. Some authors argue that the labrum may be vulnerable to relatively minor trauma by traction,47,49 but a study by Elsaidi et al50 did not show any injury to the acetabular labrum from longitudinal distraction of the hip on the fracture table.
CONCLUSIONS
Historically, athletes and other young individuals with hip injuries were simply resigned to living within the constraints of their symptoms, being diagnosed with an ill-defined chronic groin injury and often prematurely ending their competitive careers.51 Advances in hip arthroscopic techniques have helped us to understand various forms of intra-articular hip pathologies and to define elusive causes of disabling hip pain in athletic population, including occult labral and chondral damage and rupture of ligamentum teres. Acetabular labral tears can contribute to persistent symptoms in the hip joint, and lesions of the articular cartilage of the femoral head and acetabulum can eventually contribute to the progression of hip osteoarthritis. We are now capable of recognising these at an early stage in the disease. However, with current technical advancement, it remains to be seen whether we can change the natural history of the disease process and potentially curb the progression of osteoarthritis.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Mr Vikas Khanduja from Cambridge Hip and Knee Unit for helping with fig 1
.
FOOTNOTES
Published Online First 29 November 2006
Competing interests: None declared.
REFERENCES
3 National Rehabilitation Institute of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico; vichip2002{at}yahoo.com.mx
Hip arthroscopy has evolved greatly in the last decade. Improvements in technology have made the procedure accessible and reproducible. This leads to more experience around the world and a larger number of surgeons performing the procedure, which allows further description of the pathology and a comparison of results between different institutions and even different countries. This means that hip arthroscopy has reached maturity and will only increase in the future. It is appropriate now to stop and review the hypothesis and results of previous studies and analyse what is still true and what has changed from the beginning. This paper adequately analyses hip arthroscopy from the point of view of the most common procedures and provides an understandable and expert discussion that serves both the orthopaedic surgeon willing to compromise on hip arthroscopy and the expert willing to evaluate his own experience and compare it with the evolution of literature on hip arthroscopy.
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