Labral reconstruction using the ligamentum teres capitis: report of a new technique

We have used the ligamentum teres capitis to reconstruct the deficient or absent labrum in five patients with femoroacetabular impingement at the time of surgical hip dislocation. Two had a deficient labrum overlying a sectorial retroverted acetabulum causing pincer-type impingement. Three patients had the labrum previously resected arthroscopically. The minimum followup from surgery was 5 months (average, 10 months; range, 5-20 months). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications related to the reconstruction. All patients had improvement in their clinical function and one patient underwent total hip arthroplasty at last followup for unresolved pain without radiographic progression of arthritis. Reconstruction of the labrum in patients with deficient or resected labrums at the time of surgical hip dislocation provides the theoretical advantage of sealing and stabilizing the hip joint, restoring the fluid layer which could potentially prevent continued cartilage degeneration.