Hip Arthroscopy
Dr. Arthur Chau is an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Houston, TX. Dr. Chau specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, diseases and disorders of the bodys musculoskeletal system. As an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Chau tends to bones, ligaments, muscles, joints, nerves and tendons. Orthopaedic... more
Hip pain can be experienced by a wide spectrum of the population, from young athletes to elderly persons. Hip pain can be caused by different reasons such as arthritis, loose bodies, impingement by bone spurs or tear of cartilage called labrum. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The pelvic bone provides the socket, and the thigh bone makes up the ball structure. The socket and the ball structures are covered by thick and smooth cartilage layers which provide cushioning and low friction surfaces.
The cartilage of the socket extends beyond the rim of the socket to cover a part of the ball structure. This extending cartilage is called a labrum, which can be torn with a twisting and turning motion. A piece of torn cartilage called a loose body can jam the hip joint causing pain, clicking or catching of the hip joint. Similarly, an arthritic condition can also cause loose bodies or intense chronic inflammation of the joint lining tissue or synovitis.
When you see your orthopedist for hip pain, your orthopedist will examine your hip, order the X-rays and possible CT scan or MRI to evaluate your hip condition. They also have to rule out other possible causes such as back pain or knee problems. A back problem such as a ruptured disc or arthritic change of the low back can irritate the nerves, which in turn causes the pain in the hip. Similarly, the knee problem or pain can be perceived as a hip pain in the same leg. Your orthopedist may refer you to the physical therapist for few weeks of stretching and strengthening exercises. They may also prescribe non steroidal anti-inflammatory medication to reduce or relieve the symptoms.
When non-surgical treatments such as anti-inflammatory medication or physical therapy fail to resolve the symptoms, surgical treatments may be recommended by the orthopedic surgeons. The orthopedic surgeons may order an MRI, CT scan besides common X-rays before recommending a surgical procedure.
The hip arthroscopy is a new procedure to address some of these problems. The hip arthroscopy is a very minimally invasive procedure with small and delicate camera and instruments inserted through a few small incisions. Through the arthroscopic camera, the surgeon can inspect the whole hip joint, evaluate the condition of the hip joint and detect any abnormality in the hip joint. The surgeons can remove the loose bodies, repair the torn cartilage, remove the impinging bone spurs or clean out the inflamed tissues with small delicate instruments.
The hip arthroscopy is an outpatient procedure, and the patient can be discharged home in the same day with full weight bearing. Patient may be recommended to attend a brief period of physical therapy dependent on the nature of the procedures and condition of his/her hip. Due to the minimally invasive nature of the hip arthroscopy, the recuperating or healing time is faster with less pain than an open procedure.
