www.nhgi.co.uk, Northern Hip & Groin Institute, Joint Replacement Knee Hip, Arthroscopy, Computer Assisted, Sports, Schilders, Kluge, Leeds, Bradford, Yorkshire

Complications hip arthroscopy

Although hip arthroscopy is a relatively safe procedure, complications can occur with patient positioning, during and after the surgery.
Pressure directly applied to the perineum can cause sores and nerve compression (transient pudendal neuropraxy in 0.5%).

Traction on the leg which is required to perform the keyhole procedure might lead to transient sciatic (0.5%) or femoral (0.1%) nerve problems. In order to access the hip joint small incisions (portals) have to be made where the camera and surgical instruments are introduced. The portals are made in a safe zone but injuries to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve have been described in 0.5% of operated cases. Acetabular labrum perforation and cartilage damage can occur. The risk of such injury can be much reduced by an air arthrogram (picture). Potential postoperative complications are infection, thrombosis, femoral head necrosis and femoral neck fracture. Heterotopic bone formation has been reported but does not seem to be clinically relevant.