Across the whole range of surgical procedures on the hip, arthroscopy is the only technique with which the surgeon can inspect and establish, in a largely atraumatic way, the state of the joint and any problems found within it. Through a few small portals (openings less than one centimetre across) a miniature camera is introduced, together with specialised instruments with which treatments can be carried out that were unthinkable only a few years ago. Set against the extensive open operations that such conditions would otherwise require, arthroscopy could fairly be called a state-of-the-art technique in modern medical science.
Despite the technical difficulties presented by the hip joint because of its position, its anatomy and its general nature, we have managed not only to reach it arthroscopically but also to apply methods of treating lesions that we have used for years in other joints of the human body. At the same time, the arthroscopic technique, being minimally invasive by nature, allows immediate mobilisation and day-case admission for the patient, that is without an overnight stay in hospital.
Hip arthroscopy now enjoys wide recognition in the medical community, in contrast to the scepticism of earlier years, and is growing rapidly at an international level. The surge in scientific publications and in the research being carried out demonstrates the high expectations held in the scientific community for what the technique can achieve in the human hip.
Read more HERE