Capsular Plication for Treatment of Iatrogenic Hip Instability

The most commonly reported reasons for persistent hip pain after hip arthroscopy are residual femoroacetabular impingement, dysplasia and dysplasia variants, or extra-articular impingement. There are some cases in which the underlying osseous pathomorphology has been appropriately treated, and the cause of persistent hip pain can be soft-tissue injuries such as chondrolabral tears or capsular abnormalities. Capsular defects after hip arthroscopy may suggest an alteration of the biomechanical properties of the iliofemoral ligament and lead to iatrogenically induced hip instability. There are a growing number of biomechanical and clinical studies showing the importance of capsular management during hip arthroscopy. We describe the workup, examination under anesthesia, diagnostic arthroscopy, and technique of capsular plication for iatrogenic instability of the hip.