Ultrasound-Guided Portal Placement for Hip Arthroscopy

Over the past 2 decades, hip arthroscopy has developed as a surgical technique, with more orthopaedic surgeons attempting to become proficient in performing this surgical procedure as indications and surgical skills evolve. The hip joint presents unique arthroscopic challenges because of its anatomic location, and it can be challenging to safely and confidently establish portal sites. Ultrasound-guided hip arthroscopy portal placement is not yet common practice for orthopaedic surgeons. The potential advantages of ultrasound-guided hip arthroscopy portal placement are the lack of radiation exposure to the patient and operating room personnel, direct visualization of the hip joint and surrounding soft-tissue structures, and lack of bulky fluoroscopic equipment in the operative field. We describe a detailed technique incorporating video examples using ultrasound guidance to establish appropriate portal sites for hip arthroscopy with the aim to improve safety and overall operator competence.