Can hip arthroscopy be performed with conventional knee-length instrumentation?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Hip arthroscopy is a surgical procedure to diagnose and treat hip joint problems.
• The use of conventional instrumentation for hip arthroscopy is debated due to anatomical variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of performing hip arthroscopy using standard knee-length arthroscopic instruments.
• To determine if patient characteristics and specific surgical needs influence instrumentation requirements.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 116 hip arthroscopies (104 patients) was conducted.
• Patient data including age, BMI, and body type were recorded.
• Measurements of skin-to-socket depth at key portal sites were taken.

Main Results:

• Most procedures (108/116) were successfully completed with standard knee-length instruments.
• Eight procedures required specialized instrumentation, primarily for ligamentum teres debridement or iliopsoas tenotomy.
• Obese and overweight patients exhibited greater skin-to-socket distances compared to normal-weight patients.

Conclusions:

• Conventional knee-length arthroscopic instrumentation is largely adequate for hip arthroscopy.
• Specialized instruments should be readily available for obese patients and complex procedures like ligamentum teres debridement or iliopsoas tendon release.