Infantile hip arthroscopy: the relationship between neurovascular anatomy and the portal pathway

In the past, studies of hip arthroscopy portal path relate with extra-articular structures were done in adults. This study was investigated in the infantile group.

10 hips of fresh infantile cadavers. K-wire diameter 2.4 mm. are representing scope pathway. Three portals (anterior, anterolateral and posterolateral) in supine position without traction were chose to used in this study.

One cadaver was female and four were male. The mean age and weight when death occurred was 74 days and the mean weight was 3584.4 gm. At the anterior portal, the most lateral branch of LFCN was frequently injured. The average distant of femoral nerve to the K-wire was 11.2 (7-14) mm. Transverse branch of lateral femoral circumflex artery had an average distant 8.5(6-14) mm and the terminal branch could be identified in four hip and average distance was 1 mm. At the anterolateral portal two, greater trochanter were injured by K-wire. In the posterolateral portal the average distant from K-wire to sciatic nerve was 13.2 mm.

From this pilot study, the distance of major neurovascular structure as related to hip scope path is nearly a centimeter on average.