Tractionless Hip Arthroscopy for Septic Arthritis in Children

Surgical management of septic arthritis in young children is traditionally performed with open techniques, although arthroscopic approaches are commonly used in the knee and shoulder. Hip arthroscopy is technically demanding in small children and requires modification from traditional hip arthroscopy. The purpose of this study is to describe a safe technique to perform hip arthroscopy without traction in the pediatric hip and, secondarily, to report short-term results of a case series. Pediatric hip arthroscopy can be safely performed without traction on a radiolucent table and allows joint irrigation and debridement including drain placement through the use of 1 or 2 portals. Hip arthroscopy is a safe, valuable, minimally invasive technique in the treatment of children with septic arthritis of the hip.