Hip pathologies treated by arthroscopy

Hip arthroscopy really took off in the 2000s, following the discovery and understanding of new hip pathologies that were previously unknown, and was initially reserved for the investigation of ‘mysterious’ painful hips, removal of any foreign bodies and hip lavage. The following list is not exhaustive, as there are many hip disorders that can be treated by arthroscopy.

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) or hip impingement.

Inguinal, pelvic or trochanteric pain in athletes has long remained a diagnostic and therapeutic mystery. Recent studies have highlighted a new pathology of the hip: femoroacetabular impingement or hip impingement. This is a question of joint damage caused by the femoral neck abutting the acetabulum during large-amplitude movements of the hip, such as in dance, martial arts, football, etc. This abutment, called impingement, can lead to a tear in the labrum (like a meniscal lesion in a knee), and then cartilage damage to the acetabulum, which can lead to osteoarthritis in the long term.
This labrum tear can be the result of a violent trauma, but more often there are favourable factors. These factors tend to reduce the amplitudes of the joint and thus favour the conflict.
There are 3 types of conflict, depending on anatomical factors: cam effect, pinch effect and when the 2 anatomical factors exist together, it is called a mixed conflict.

Synovial and tendon pathologies.

Hip arthroscopy can also be used to treat hip microinstability, synovial and tendon pathology, particularly in the hip, lateral hip protrusion and tendinitis or tendinopathies.