What is a hip arthroscopy?

A hip arthroscopy is a type of surgery that involves using a small camera to assess and treat damaged hip joints, explains MedlinePlus. Surgeons create small cuts around the hip to insert visual equipment to evaluate the condition of the hip.

Hip arthroscopy surgery requires general anesthesia or a spinal or epidural to numb the hip area, according to MedlinePlus. The surgeon inserts the arthroscope, which is a lens and light source in a tiny tube, into the surgical cuts. He can insert medical instruments into the incisions to fix cartilage and damaged tissues while also removing loose pieces of bone that may be lodged in the hip joint. Patients may also undergo hip arthroscopy surgery to repair tears in cartilage that are attached to the hip socket bone or to investigate hip pain that does not subside after pain injections.

Patients with a hip joint infection, snapping hip syndrome dysplasia or a femoracetabular impingement are often strong candidates for hip arthroscopy surgery, explains the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. People with a femoracetabular impingement suffer from a bone spurs that grow around the femoral head and socket of the hip. During surgery, the surgeon can also repair inflamed tissues due to synovitis and damaged tendons.