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Hip Arthroscopy
By Brian M. Torpey, MD, FACS

Hip arthroscopy is a new and evolving treatment that has been shown to work well in athletes and other individuals who have had injuries to their hip capsule and labrum. The benefits of hip arthroscopy is that it has been proven to be very successful in relieving the groin pain and hip pain that is associated with labral tears, and it can be performed as a minimally invasive same-day surgery procedure.

Ideal candidates for hip arthroscopy are young active individuals, both athletes and non-athletes, who have mechanical clicking and popping in their hip associated with pain.

Specialized MRI/arthrogram testing is then performed to confirm the presence of a labral tear. If a tear is present, then an arthroscopic procedure that typically involves two to three puncture incisions are utilized to gain access to the hip joint, address the torn labrum, and any bone overgrowth that may be associated with the torn labrum.

Hip arthroscopy surgery for labral tears have been very successful for patients who have sustained a distinct injury to the labrum and who have findings that reveal a torn labrum on MRI.

The typical patient is on crutches for three to four days, after which time they are transitioned to a single crutch or a cane for as long as a week. Physical therapy is started right away, and typically patients can return to functional activities within 7 to 10 days, and sport activities as early as three to four weeks.

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