Early efficacy of hip arthroscopy in the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement

Objective: To explore the early clinical efficacy of hip arthroscopy surgery for femoroacetabular impingement. Methods: The clinical data of 32 patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) treated by hip arthroscopy in our hospital from May 2013 to September 2014 were retrospectively analyzed, of which 18 cases were male and 14 cases were female, with an average age of 37.6 years (30-55 years). All patients presented with typical pain in the inguinal region with varying degrees of limitation of flexion and internal rotation, and some patients were accompanied by symptoms of hip popping and interlocking. Preoperative X-rays, CT and MR in all patients showed cam-like changes in the femoral head and neck junction area, accompanied by damage to the acetabular labrum. Osteoarthritis of the affected hip was graded preoperatively using the Tonnis grading criteria, and all patients had a Tonnis grading of ≤ grade 1. All 32 patients underwent hip arthroscopy. General anesthesia was used, and the patients lay flat on a conventional fracture traction bed, with perineal pillars placed on the medial side of the root of the affected thigh, the hip joint abducted at 20°, flexed at 10 degrees, and tractioned in the foot-neutral position until the hip joint gap was pulled open and the vacuum sign appeared on the fluoroscopic view of the C-arm machine. After routine disinfection and toweling, the posterolateral, anterolateral and anterior approaches of hip arthroscopy were used to explore the central compartment of the hip joint using 70° and 30° scopes, respectively, and comprehensively evaluate the acetabular labrum, cartilage and femoral head cartilage, and if the labrum degeneration was too severe to be repaired, the labrum was cleaned up using a planer and a plasma knife; and if it was a repairable tear, it was closed using a BIORAPTOR knotless anchor nail. Release the traction, flex the hip joint, enter the peripheral compartment, locate the cam deformity in the femoral head-neck junction area under microscopic observation combined with fluoroscopy with a C-arm machine, and use a grinder to perform osteochondroplasty, with the hip joint flexed and internally and externally rotated intraoperatively, and the absence of impingement was reconfirmed under the microscope. In patients without a sutured labrum, double crutches were used after surgery, and the affected limb was protected by weight-bearing for 4 weeks; in patients with a sutured labrum, the affected limb was not weight-bearing for 6 weeks after surgery. Hip flexion and extension exercises were started on the second postoperative day. We recorded the occurrence of perioperative complications, used Harris score and VAS score to assess the function and pain level of the hip joint of the patients preoperatively and at follow-up, and compared preoperative X-rays with X-rays at follow-up to observe the progression of osteoarthritis. SPSS19.0 software was applied, and paired t-test was used for statistical analysis with α<0.05. Results: All 32 patients were followed up, and the average follow-up time was 9 months (4-16 months). The mean Harris score was 54.5 preoperatively and 85.9 at the last follow-up, p<0.05. The mean VAS score was 57.9 preoperatively and 22.6 at the last follow-up, p<0.05. There were no related complications in the perioperative period. There was no progression of osteoarthritis in all patients after surgery. Conclusion: Through this study we found that the use of hip arthroscopy to treat FAI has satisfactory early efficacy, little surgical trauma and no surgical complications, so it is a surgical method worth promoting.