Treatment of Hip Wave Lesion Using Reverse Microfracture: A Retrospective Clinical Study

Objective  The present study aims to evaluate the treatment of hip wave lesion using reverse microfracture, which is a simple and cheap surgical procedure. Methods  We retrospectively analyzed 19 patients with acetabular wave lesion treated with reverse microfracture. The patients were assessed by magnetic nuclear resonance imaging (MRI) at the time of diagnosis and 6 months after the surgery and functionally evaluated using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain in the preoperative period, and 3 and 6 months after the surgery. Results  The statistical data showed a significant improvement in HHS and VAS 6 months after the surgery. Six months after the surgery, the MRI revealed that the area subjected to reverse microfracture presented cartilage with the same visual characteristics observed in areas with no chondral injury. Conclusion  We conclude that the reverse microfracture proved to be an effective, reproducible method for the treatment of wave lesion.