The learning curve in hip arthroscopy

Acta Ortop Mex, May-Jun 2010
Vilchez F, Erquicia J, Tey M
Hip arthroscopy is becoming an increasingly widely used technique in orthopaedic surgery. The learning curve for this technique has been discussed recently. The authors of the study set out to assess the learning curve of hip arthroscopy, using intraoperative complications as an objective parameter for measuring the outcome.
The patients who underwent hip arthroscopy were divided into two groups: group A, corresponding to the learning curve of the first surgeon, and group B, corresponding to the remaining operations. Demographic details, the details of the operation and data on complications were collected for both groups.
Group A included 30 patients, and the mean duration of traction was 75 minutes (range, 45-120). Five cases with complications were found (16%), all of them transient neurapraxia of the pudendal nerve. In group B there were 67 patients and the duration of traction averaged 63 minutes (range, 35-90). Two complications were found (2.9%).
The authors concluded that, before hip arthroscopy is performed, a good knowledge of arthroscopic surgery and of the anatomy of the region is necessary, and that specialised training in hip arthroscopy is essential, since this technique has a long learning curve.