Arthroscopic hip procedures have increased dramatically over the last decade as equipment and techniques have improved. Patients who require hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement on occasion require surgery on the contralateral hip. Previous studies have found that younger age of presentation and lower Charlson comorbidity index have higher risk for requiring surgery on the contralateral hip but have not found correlation to anatomic variables. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors that predispose a patient to requiring subsequent hip arthroscopy on the contralateral hip. This is an IRB-approved, single surgeon retrospective cohort study from an academic, tertiary referral centre. A chart review was conducted on 310 primary hip arthroscopy procedures from 2009-2020. We identified 62 cases that went on to have a hip arthroscopy on the contralateral side. The bilateral hip arthroscopy cohort was compared to unilateral cohort for sex, age, BMI, pre-op alpha angle and centre edge angle measured on AP pelvis XRay, femoral torsion, traction time, skin to skin time, Tonnis grade, intra-op labral or chondral defect. A p-value <0.05 was deemed significant. Of the 62 patients that required contralateral hip arthroscopy, the average age was 32.7 compared with 37.8 in the unilateral cohort (p = 0.01) and BMI was lower in the bilateral cohort (26.2) compared to the unilateral cohort (27.6) (p=0.04). The average alpha angle was 76.3. 0. in the bilateral compared to 66. 0. in the unilateral cohort (p = 0.01). Skin to skin time was longer in cases in which a contralateral surgery was performed (106.3 mins vs 86.4 mins) (p=0.01). Interestingly, 50 male patients required contralateral hip arthroscopy compared to 12 female patients (p=0.01). No other variables were statistically significant. In conclusion, this study does re-enforce existing literature by stating that younger patients are more likely to require contralateral hip arthroscopy. This may be due to the fact that these patients require increased range of motion from the hip joint to perform activities such as sports where as older patients may not need the same amount of range of motion to perform their activities. Significantly higher alpha angles were noted in patients requiring contralateral hip arthroscopy, which has not been shown in previous literature. This helps to explain that larger CAM deformities will likely require contralateral hip arthroscopy because these patients likely impinge more during simple activities of daily living. Contralateral hip arthroscopy is also more common in male patients who typically have a larger CAM deformity. In summary, this study will help to risk stratify patients who will likely require contralateral hip arthroscopy and should be a discussion point during pre-operative counseling. That offering early subsequent or simultaneous hip arthroscopy in young male patients with large CAMs should be offered when symptoms are mild

It has been reported that 60-85% of patients who undergo PAO have concomitant intraarticular pathology that cannot be addressed with PAO alone. Currently, there are limited diagnostic tools to determine which patients would benefit from hip arthroscopy at the time of PAO to address intra-articular pathology. This study aims to see if preoperative PROMs scores measured by IHOT-33 scores have predictive value in whether intra-articular pathology is addressed during PAO + scope. The secondary aim is to see how often surgeons at high-volume hip preservation centers address intra-articular pathology if a scope is performed during the same anesthesia event. A randomized, prospective Multicenter trial was performed on patients who underwent PAO and hip arthroscopy to treat hip dysplasia from 2019 to 2020. Preoperative PROMs and intraoperative findings and procedures were recorded and analyzed. A total of 75 patients, 84% Female, and 16% male, with an average age of 27 years old, were included in the study. Patients were randomized to have PAO alone 34 patients vs. PAO + arthroscopy 41 patients during the same anesthesia event. The procedures performed, including types of labral procedures and chondroplasty procedures, were recorded. Additionally, a two-sided student T-test was used to evaluate the difference in means of preoperative IHOT score among patients for whom a labral procedure was performed versus no labral procedure. A total of 82% of patients had an intra-articular procedure performed at the time of hip arthroscopy. 68% of patients who had PAO + arthroscopy had a labral procedure performed. The most common labral procedure was a labral refixation which was performed in 78% of patients who had a labral procedure performed. Femoral head-neck junction chondroplasty was performed in 51% of patients who had an intra-articular procedure performed. The mean IHOT score was 29.3 in patients who had a labral procedure performed and 33.63 in those who did not have a labral procedure performed P- value=0.24. Our findings demonstrate preoperative IHOT-33 scores were not predictive in determining whether intra-articular labral pathology was addressed at the time of surgery. Additionally, we found that if labral pathology was addressed, labral refixation was the most common repair performed. This study also provides valuable information on what procedures high-volume hip preservation centers are performing when performing PAO + arthroscopy

As the field of hip arthroscopy continues to develop, functional measures and testing become increasingly important in patient selection, managing patient expectations prior to surgery, and physical readiness for return to athletic participation. The Hip Sport Test (HST) was developed to assess strength, coordination, agility, and range of motion prior to and following hip arthroscopy as a functional assessment. However, the relationship between HST and hip strength, range of motion, and hip-specific patient reported outcome (PRO) measures have not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the HST scores and measurements of hip strength and range of motion prior to undergoing hip arthroscopy. Between September 2009 and January 2017, patients aged 18-40 who underwent primary hip arthroscopy for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement with available pre-operative HST, dynamometry, range of motion, and functional scores (mHHS, WOMAC, HOS-SSS) were identified. Patients were excluded if they were 40 years old, had a Tegner activity score < 7, or did not have HST and dynamometry evaluations within one week of each other. Muscle strength scores were compared between affected and unaffected side to establish a percent difference with a positive score indicating a weaker affected limb and a negative score indicating a stronger affected limb. Correlations were made between HST and strength testing, range of motion, and PROs. A total of 350 patients met inclusion criteria. The average age was 26.9 ± 6.5 years, with 34% females and 36% professional athletes. Total and component HST scores were significantly associated with measure of strength most strongly for flexion (rs = −0.20, p < 0 .001), extension (rs = −0.24, p<.001) and external rotation (rs = −0.20, p < 0 .001). Lateral and diagonal agility, components of HST, were also significantly associated with muscle strength imbalances between internal rotation versus external rotation (rs = −0.18, p=0.01) and flexion versus extension (rs = 0.12, p=0.03). In terms of range of motion, a significant correlation was detected between HST and internal rotation (rs = −0.19, p < 0 .001). Both the total and component HST scores were positively correlated with pre-operative mHHS, WOMAC, and HOS-SSS (p<.001 for all rs). The Hip Sport Test correlates with strength, range of motion, and PROs in the preoperative setting of hip arthroscopy. This test alone and in combination with other diagnostic examinations can provide valuable information about initial hip function and patient prognosis

Knee arthroscopy with meniscectomy is the third most common Orthopaedic surgery performed after TKA and THA, comprising up to 16.6% of all procedures. The efficiency of Orthopaedic care delivery with respect to waiting times and systemic costs is extremely concerning. Canadian Orthopaedic patients experience the longest wait times of any G7 country, yet perioperative surgical care constitutes a significant portion of a hospital's budget. In-Office Needle Arthroscopy (IONA) is an emerging technology that has been primarily studied as a diagnostic tool. Recent evidence shows that it is a cost-effective alternative to hospital- and community-based MRI with comparable accuracy. Recent procedure guides detailing IONA medial meniscectomy suggest a potential node for OR diversion. Given the high case volume of knee arthroscopy as well as the potential amenability to be diverted away from the OR to the office setting, IONA has the potential to generate considerable improvements in healthcare system efficiency with respect to throughput and cost savings. As such, the purpose of this study is to investigate the cost savings and impact on waiting times on a mid-sized Canadian community hospital if IONA is offered as an alternative to traditional operating room (OR) arthroscopy for medial meniscal tears. In order to develop a comprehensive understanding and accurate representation of the quantifiable operations involved in the current state for medial meniscus tear care, process mapping was performed that describes the journey of a patient from when they present with knee pain to their general practitioner until case resolution. This technique was then repeated to create a second process map describing the hypothetical proposed state whereby OR diversion may be conducted utilizing IONA. Once the respective process maps for each state were determined, each process map was translated into a Dupont decision tree. In order to accurately determine the total number of patients which would be eligible for this care pathway at our institution, the OR booking scheduling for arthroscopy and meniscectomy/repair over a four year time period (2016-2020) were reviewed. A sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the effect of the number of patients who select IONA over meniscectomy and the number of revision meniscectomies after IONA on 1) the profit and profit margin determined by the MCS-Dupont financial model and 2) the throughput (percentage and number) determined by the MCS-throughput model. Based on historic data at our institution, an average of 198 patients (SD 31) underwent either a meniscectomy or repair from years 2016-2020. Revenue for both states was similar (p = .22), with the current state revenue being $ 248,555.99 (standard deviation $ 39,005.43) and proposed state of $ 249,223.86 (SD $ 39,188.73). However, the reduction in expenses was significant (p < .0001) at 5.15%, with expenses in the current state being $ 281,415.23 (SD $ 44,157.80) and proposed state of $ 266,912.68 (SD $ 42,093.19), representing $14,502.95 in savings. Accordingly, profit improvement was also significant (p < .0001) at 46.2%, with current state profit being $ (32,859.24) (SD $ 5,153.49) and proposed state being $ (17,678.82) (SD $ 2,921.28). The addition of IONA into the care pathway of the proposed state produced an average improvement in throughput of 42 patients (SD 7), representing a 21.2% reduction in the number of patients that require an OR procedure. Financial sensitivity analysis revealed that the proposed state profit was higher than the current state profit if as few as 10% of patients select IONA, with the maximum revision rate needing to remain below 40% to achieve improved profits. The most important finding from this study is that IONA is a cost-effective alternative to traditional surgical arthroscopy for medial meniscus meniscectomy. Importantly, IONA can also be used as a diagnostic procedure. It is shown to be a cost-effective alternative to MRI with similar diagnostic accuracy. The role of IONA as a joint diagnostic-therapeutic tool could positively impact MRI waiting times and MRI/MRA costs, and further reduce indirect costs to society. Given the well-established benefit of early meniscus treatment, accelerating both diagnosis and therapy is bound to result in positive effects

Abstract. Introduction. The extent to which hip arthroscopy (HA) treatments influence sexual function is not well described and limited to small cohorts. This study aims to describe trends in self-reported reported sexual function before and after HA. Methods. Adult (≥18 years) patients who underwent HA between 1/01/2012 and 31/10/2020 were extracted from the UK Non-Arthroplasty Hip Registry. International Hip Outcome Tool 12 (iHOT-12) questionnaires were collected pre-operatively and at 6 and 12 months. The iHOT-12 then asks asking patients to quantify ‘how much trouble they experience with sexual activity because of their hip?’ with responses converted to a continuous scale (0–100) to measure function. Results. Of 7639 procedures (59% female, mean age 36.5 years (SD 11)), 91% (5616 of 6151 respondents) indicated pre-operatively that questions about sexual activity were relevant to them (male 93%, female 90%, p < 0.001). Overall, mean pre-operative sexual function increased from 42.0 (95%CI 41.2 to 42.8, n=5267) to 61.8 (60.6 to 63.1, n=2393) at 6 months, and 62.1 (60.8 to 63.5, n=2246) at 12 months post-operatively. At 12 months, both sexes saw significant improvement in their pre-operative sexual function scores (p<0.0001). Males started from significantly higher baseline sexual function (53.3 vs 34.2) and achieved higher scores by 12 months (68.8 vs 58.0) compared to female patients. There was no significant difference in pre- or post-operative scores when comparing younger (<40 years) and older (>40 years). Conclusions. Most patients can expect to experience improvement in their sexual function following hip arthroscopy, regardless of sex or age group

A tourniquet is usually used during ankle arthroscopy to allow for improved visibility and reduced operation time. However, clinical studies on knee arthroscopy have not demonstrated this to be true. In addition, Zengerink and van Dijk emphasized a limited tourniquet time in ankle arthroscopy as a possible factor to lower the complication rate even more. The purpose of this prospective randomized controlled trial was to examine the effect of tourniquet use on arthroscopic visualization, operative time, postoperative intra-articular bleeding, postoperative pain scores and outcome of anterior ankle arthroscopy. A consecutive series of 50 patients who were scheduled for anterior ankle arthroscopy were randomized to have the surgery done either without the tourniquet inflated (25 patients) or with the tourniquet inflated (25 patients). The patients were evaluated by the course of the surgery, postoperative intra-articular bleeding, pain during the early postoperative period and by using the subjective and objective functional scores to evaluate the condition of the ankle before and 3 and 6 months after the surgery. The statistical analysis was performed with the normality of distribution tested by both Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Appropriate parametric or non-parametric methods were then used to test statistical hypotheses, while the statistical significance (alpha, Type I error) was set at .05. Fourty-nine patients were present at the final follow-up, 6 months after the surgery. The results between the groups were comparable regarding the duration of the operative procedure, consumption of sterile saline, visualisation and functional scores. Notable difference between the groups in favour of the non-tourniquet group was present regarding postoperative bleeding, but was not statistically significant. Statistically significant difference in favour of the non-tourniquet group was found regarding postoperative pain during several days in the early postoperative period. Our study has shown that anterior ankle arthroscopy may be performed adequately without the use of a tourniquet and that it has the same operative course as in cases in which the tourniquet is used and functional outcomes which are not worse than in cases in which the tourniquet is used

Introduction. Persistent pain after medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a prevailing reason for revision to total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Many of these pathologies can be addressed arthroscopically. The purpose of this study is to examine the outcomes of patients who undergo an arthroscopy for any reason after medial UKA. Methods. A query of our practice registry revealed 58 patients who had undergone medial UKA between October 2003 and June 2015 with subsequent arthroscopy. Mean interval from UKA to arthroscopy was 22 months (range, 1–101 months). Indications for arthroscopy were acute anterior cruciate ligament tear (1), arthrofibrosis (7), synovitis (12), recurrent hemarthrosis (2), lateral compartment degeneration including isolated lateral meniscus tears (11), and loose cement fragments (25). Results. Mean follow-up after arthroscopy was 37 months (range, 1–134 months). Twelve patients have been revised from UKA to TKA. Relative risk of revision after arthroscopy for lateral compartment degeneration was 4.27 (6 of 11; 55%; p=0.002) and for retrieval of loose cement fragments was 0.05 (0 of 25; 0%; p=0.03). Relative risk for revision after arthroscopy for anterior cruciate ligament tear, arthrofibrosis, synovitis, or recurrent hemarthrosis did not meet clinical significance secondary to the low number of patients in these categories. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that arthroscopic retrieval of cement fragments does not compromise UKA longevity. However, arthroscopy for lateral compartment degradation after UKA predicts a high risk of revision to TKA regardless of its relative radiographic insignificance

Objective. Neurological injuries are most common complication, which has refrained many surgeons from opting elbow arthroscopy for indicated surgeries. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of anterolateral (AL) and posterolateral (PL) portals and chances of injury to the radial nerve and posterior interosseous nerve around the elbow joint during elbow arthroscopy. Material & Methods. A cadaveric study was conducted on 16 non dissected cadavers (32 elbow specimens) between the period of January 2021 to June 2022. Four portals were established using 4 mm Steinmann pins which are Proximal AL Portal, Mid-AL Portal, Distal AL Portal and PL Portal. The measurements of each portal were taken for each nerve and compared with each other. Results. In our study, the mean age was 56.5 years. Proximal AL Portal was found to be at an average distance of 12.03 mm from radial nerve, 9.48 mm from the PIN and 9.35 mm from the PACN (Posterior Antebrachial Cutaneous Nerve). Distal AL Portal was at an average distance of 7.95 mm away from the radial nerve which closest to radial nerve amongst all portals. The radial nerve had the most risk of being injured out of all the nerves in the AL and PL portals followed by PIN and PACN in AL portal. Ulnar nerve was found safe in the PL portal. Conclusion. The PL portal was safer than the AL portal for conducting elbow arthroscopy. Care should be taken specially to protect radial nerve while performing elbow arthroscopy

Knee arthroscopy is typically approached from the anterior, posteromedial and posterolateral portals. Access to the posterior compartments through these portals can cause iatrogenic cartilage damage and create difficulties in viewing the structures of the posterior compartments. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of needle arthroscopy using direct posterior portals as both working and visualising portals. For workability, the needle scope was inserted advanced from anterior between the cruciate ligament bundle and the lateral wall of the medial femoral condyle until the posterior compartments were visualised. For visualisation, direct postero-lateral and -medial portals were established. The technique was performed in 9 knees by two experienced researchers. Workability and instrumentation of the posteromedial compartment and meniscus was achieved in 56%. The posterior horns could not be visualised in four specimens as the straight lens could not provide a more medial field of view. Visualisation from the direct medial posterior portal allowed a clear view of the medial meniscus, femoral condyle and posterior cruciate ligament in all specimens. Workability and instrumentation of the posterolateral compartment was not possible with the needle scope. Direct posterior approaches for the posteromedial compartment access are challenging with the current needle scope options and could only be achieved in over 50%. The postero-lateral compartment was not accessible. An angled lens or a flexible Needle scope would be better suited for developing this technique further

Surgical treatment options for Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) includes both surgical dislocation and hip arthroscopy techniques. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the survivorship of arthroscopies (scope) and surgical dislocations (SD) at minimum 5-year follow-up. The secondary aim was to describe differences in functional outcomes between the 2 groups. This was a retrospective, single surgeon, consecutive, case-series from a large tertiary care centre. We evaluated all surgeries that were performed between 2005 and 2011. Our institutional database was queried for any patient undergoing surgery for FAI (pincer (n=23), cam (n=306), or mixed (n=103) types). Patients with childhood pathologies i.e. Legg Calve Perthes and slipped capital femoral epiphysis were excluded. This resulted in 221 hips (169 males, 52 females) who underwent either SD (94, 42.5%) or scope (127, 57.5%). A manual chart review was completed to identify patients who sustained a complication, underwent revision surgery or progressed to a total hip arthroplasty (THA). In addition, we reviewed prospectively collected patient reported outcome measure (PROMs) using (SF12, HOOS, and UCLA). Survivorship outcome was described for the whole cohort and compared between the 2 surgical groups. PROMs between groups were compared using The Mann-Whitney U test and the survival between groups was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier Analysis and the Log-Rank Mantel Cox test. All analyses were performed in SPSS (IBM, v. 26.0). The cohort included 110 SDs and 320 arthroscopies. The mean age of the whole cohort was 34±10; patients in the SD group (32±9) were younger compared to the arthroscopy group (39±10) (p<0.0001). There were 16 post-operative complications (similar between groups) and 77 re-operations (more common in the SD group (n=49) due to symptomatic metal work (n=34)). The overall 10-year survival was 91±3%. Survivorship was superior in the arthroscopy group at both 5- (96% (95%CI: 93 – 100)) and 8- years 94% (95%CI: 90 – 99%) compared to the SD Group (5-yr: 90% (95%CI: 83 – 98); 8-yr: 84% (95%CI:75 – 93)) (p=0.003) (Figure 1). On average HOOS improved from 54±19 to 68±22 and WOMAC from 65±22 to 75±22. The improvement in PROMs were similar between the 2 groups. We report very good long-term joint preservation for the treatment of FAI, which is similar to those reported in hip dysplasia. In addition, we report satisfactory improvement in function following such treatment. The differences reported in joint survival likely reflect selection biases from the treating surgeon; more complex cases and those associated with more complex anatomy were more likely to have been offered a SD in order to address the pathology with greater ease and hence the inferior joint preservation identified in this group. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

Introduction:. Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has gained renewed interest in recent years as an alternative to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for limited degenerative disease of the knee. However, recurrence of symptoms may be seen, compromising long-term survivorship. Arthroscopy has been used to for diagnosing and treating symptoms in problematic TKA. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of arthroscopic procedures in symptomatic UKA. We hypothesized that arthroscopy is a viable tool in diagnosing and treating patients with recurrent symptoms after UKA and identifying patients that will benefit from revision surgery. Methods:. A search of the institution's joint registry was conducted to identify patients who underwent arthroscopy following UKA between 2003 and 2011. Medical records were analyzed for patient demographics and comorbidities. Clinical results following arthroscopy were evaluated using the Oxford Knee Score. All patient radiograph were assessed for component alignment and loosening. Results:. A total number of 76 arthroscopies were performed on 76 patients (45 females, 31 males) with an average age of 63.3(range 41–75) years. Patients were followed for a mean of 32 months (range, 8 to 84 months). The average duration of symptoms prior to arthroscopy was 13 months (range 1 month to 69 months) from primary UKA. Patients presented with the following symptoms: mechanical problems (instability, limited range of motion, locking and clicking) in 71%, painful prosthesis in 25%, and suspicion of periprosthetic infection in 4% of cases. Arthroscopic treatment consisted of irrigation, removal of impinging tissue or loose body as indicated. Operative diagnoses included, but were not limited to arthrofibrosis, impinging hypertrophic synovitis, chondromalacia, loose fragments, medial or lateral meniscal tear, prosthesis loosening or wear, partial anterior cruciate ligament rupture, and an infrapatellar spur. Eight patients required repeat arthroscopy and at an average follow-up of 18 months (range 1–58 months), 80% of patients had no recurrent symptoms. Fourteen patients required revision to a TKA (18%) for reasons diagnosed by arthroscopy (Table 1). One patient had an additional patellofemoral arthroplasty (1%) and another patient required revision of the femoral component (1%). At final follow-up, the mean Oxford Knee Score was 30 (range, 8–48). Discussion and conclusion:. With the help of arthroscopy after UKA, symptoms in 80% of patients were diagnosed and treated successfully. Furthermore, arthroscopy established the need for revision TKA or other additional procedures in 20% of cases. The use of arthroscopy in patients following problematic UKA in the current study proved to be an effective method of treating and identifying the underlying cause of patient symptoms

In the young and highly active population of military patients, femoroacetabular impingement can be a source of serious disability as well as a threat to their career. This morbidity can be treated with hip arthroscopy with debridement of cam lesion, and excision or repair of a corresponding labral tear. We report on the long term outcomes (>1 year) of 26 military cases who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement, in a single surgeon's series. Twenty two patients (four bilateral cases) underwent hip arthroscopy as a day case procedure during the period February 2013 to October 2014. Non-Arthritic Hip Scores (NAHS) were obtained from patients pre-operatively, at two months, four months and at least one year post-operatively. There was a significant improvement in NAHS at two months (75.6)(p<0.05), four months (85.1)(p<0.001) and one year (84.8)(p<0.001), compared to pre-operative NAHS (65.8). There was no significant change in NAHS beyond four months. Only three out of the 22 patients were medically discharged secondary to persistent hip symptoms. Hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement is an effective, viable procedure for military patients. Mobility, pain and function is significantly improved after surgery. This improvement is sustained in the long term up to and beyond one year

We present a prospective two-year follow-up study of 1038 hip arthroscopies performed at a high volume tertiary referral centre for hip preservation. We feel that this manuscript is both pertinent and timely due to the advances in the field of hip preservation. We used four validated patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores along with the visual analog scale (VAS) and patient satisfaction scores to assess preoperative and postoperative outcomes in all patients undergoing hip arthroscopy. We divided the entire cohort into patients undergoing primary and revision hip arthroscopies. We found a statistically significant improvement from preoperative to two-year postoperative PRO scores in the two subgroups. We also found a significant difference in the PRO scores at three months, one year, and two years postoperatively between the primary and revision subgroups. The revision subgroup had inferior VAS and patient satisfaction compared to the primary subgroup, however these results were not significant. The conversion to total hip arthroplasty/hip resurfacing (THA/HR) was 5.6% and 11.2% in the primary and revision subgroups, respectively. This resulted in a relative risk of 2.0 for conversion to THA/HR in the revision subgroup. We had a complication rate of 5.3 (only 0.5% of which were considered major) which was similar to that reported in the literature for hip arthroscopy. The primary purpose was to perform a survival analysis in a large mixed cohort of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy at a high volume tertiary referral centre for hip preservation with minimum two-year follow-up. The secondary purpose was to compare clinical outcomes of primary versus revision hip arthroscopy. From February 2008 to June 2012, data were prospectively collected on all patients undergoing primary or revision hip arthroscopy. Patients were assessed pre- and post-operatively with modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), and Hip Outcome Score-Sport Specific Subscales (HOS-SSS). Pain was estimated on the visual analog scale (VAS). Patient satisfaction was measured on a scale from 0 to 10. There were a total of 1155 arthroscopies performed, including 1040 primary arthroscopies (926 patients) and 115 revision arthroscopies (106 patients). Of these, 931 primary arthroscopies (89.5%) in 824 patients (89.0%) and 107 revision arthroscopies (93.0%) in 97 patients (91.5%), were available for follow-up and included in our study. The mean change in patient reported outcome (PRO) scores at two-year follow-up in the primary subgroup was 17.4 for mHHS, 19.7 for HOS-ADL, 23.8 for HOS-SSS, 21.3 for NAHS, and −3.0 for VAS. The mean change in PRO scores at two-year follow-up in the revision subgroup was 13.4, 10.9, 16.1, 15.4, and −2.7, respectively. All scores improved significantly compared to pre-operatively (p<0.001). PRO scores were higher at all time points for the primary subgroup compared to the revision subgroup (p<0.05). Satisfaction was 7.7 and 7.2 for primary and revision subgroups, respectively. Of 931 primary arthroscopies, 52 (5.6%) underwent THA/HR. Of 107 revision arthroscopies, 12 (11.2%) underwent THA/HR. The relative risk of a THA/HR was 2.0 after revision procedures compared to primary procedures. The overall complication rate was 5.3%. Hip arthroscopy showed significant improvement in all PRO, VAS, and satisfaction scores at two years postoperatively. Primary arthroscopy patients showed greater PRO scores and a trend towards greater VAS compared to the revision subgroup. The relative risk of a THA/HR was 2.0 after revision procedures compared to primary procedures

Background. Hip arthroscopy is well established as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in the native hip joint. However, its application in the symptomatic post-hip arthroplasty patient is still being explored. Aims and Methods. We have described the use of hip arthroscopy in symptomatic patients following total hip replacement, resurfacing hip arthroplasty and partial resurfacing hip arthroplasty in 24 patients (study group), and compared it with arthroscopy of the native hip of 24 patients. Results. The diagnostic yield of hip arthroscopy in symptomatic post-arthroplasty patients was 95.8% (23 / 24) and a therapeutic arthroscopic intervention resulted in relief of symptoms in 41.6% (10 / 24) of the patients. It led to revision hip replacement in a further 29.1% (7 / 24). In contrast, hip arthroscopy of the native hip (control group) had a 100% diagnostic yield and an arthroscopic therapeutic intervention was carried out in all the patients resulting in symptomatic relief in 87.5% (21 / 24). The mean operative time in the study group (59.7 mins, SD 21.1) was less than the control group (71 mins, SD 17.1, p < 0.05) but the arthroscopic approach was more difficult. Conclusion. The authors suggest the use of hip arthroscopy in well-investigated symptomatic post-arthroplasty patients with an elusive diagnosis (Fig. 1: Arthroscopic image showing a THR in situ (Furlong, JRI, London, UK) with a ceramic femoral head (yellow arrow), ceramic acetabular liner (white arrow), florid metallosis (red arrow) and corrosion on the femoral neck (green arrow) because of impingement against the margin of the acetabular component.) and also describe the technical modifications necessary with various types of hip arthroplasty

Unexplained pain after hip arthroplasty is frustrating for patients and surgeons. The purpose of this study was 1. to describe the use of hip arthroscopy in management of the painful hip arthroplasty, 2. to critically evaluate the outcomes these patients, and 3. to help define indications for hip arthroscopy in this setting. We retrospectively reviewed 14 patients (16 hips) who underwent hip arthroscopy after joint replacement. One patient had suspected septic arthritis despite negative aspiration and one had known septic arthritis but was not a candidate for open arthrotomy; two had intra-articular migration of hardware. The remaining 10 patients (11 hips) had persistent pain despite negative diagnostic studies. The two patients (two hips) with infection were successfully treated with arthroscopic lavage and debridement plus intravenous antibiotics. Intra-articular metal fragments and a loose acetabular screw were successfully removed in two patients (three hips). Findings in remaining the 11 hips included a loose acetabular component (one); corrosion at the head-neck junction of a metal-on-metal articulation (one); soft tissue-scar impingement at the head cup interface (four); synovitis with associated scar tissue (four); and capsular scarring with adhesions (one). Arthroscopy represented a successful treatment or directly led to a successful treatment in 12 of 16 hips. We observed no complications as a result of the arthroscopy. Arthroscopy may be of value in selected patients

Introduction. Hypothermia is the drop in body temperature under 35°C (95°F), It has implications in immunological function and healing process, increasing the infection and the cardiovascular risk. During hip arthroscopy patients are exposed to several risk factors that may lead to hypothermia. Objective. to determinate if there are hypothermia and which are the factors contributing to hypothermia during hip arthroscopy. Methods and materials. we developed an prospective observational analytical study in a cohort group of patients that went to a hip arthroscopy, all operated by a single surgeon for treatment of femoroacetabular impingement, all were done under general anesthesia in supine position, with vair hugher warmer body air convection system always in 43.3°C; and we registered central body temperature (esophagical) during the entire procedure, we also recorded operation room temperature, volume (liters) and temperature of the saline solution used for the arthroscopy, age of the patient, body mass index (BMI), arterial tension, pump pressure, and surgical time. We analyzed the results with STATA 10.0 statistical software. Results. we performed 12 cases, 30 years old in average (14 – 46), BMI 24.0 in average (18.7 – 30.4), and hypothermia was founded in 16% (2/12) of cases. There are a direct assosiation between hypothermia and operating time over 120 minutes (p <0,001) (fig.1). Despite the rest of the parameters we didn't find any other correlation. Conclusion. Hypothermia is present in 16,67% of the patients, during hip arthroscopy for the treatmemt of femoroacetabular impingement, are group is small but we demonstrated a direct correlation between operating time and hypothermia, further studys with larger groups should be performer to identify the correlations and risk factors for hypothermia in these patients

Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the role of hip arthroscopy in the management of hip pain in elite athletes. Patients and methods. It is a retrospective study of prospectively collected data. 31 hip arthroscopies were performed on 27 elite athletes. All the patients were assessed pre-operatively with a thorough clinical examination, radiographs and MRI scans. The modified HHS was also recorded for all the patients' pre and post-operatively. All operations were performed by the senior author, and the patients were assessed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and a year following the operation. Results. The M:F ratio was 25:2 with an average age of 38 years (Range: 18-58) in the study group. 65% of the patients were professional football players followed by cricket and tennis. The patients were referred at an average of 506 days. Two of the 27 patients demonstrated minimal acetabular dysplasia on their pre-operative radiographs. Of the 31 arthroscopies, a primary diagnosis of a labral tear was made in 20, a chondral flap and delamination in 5, early osteoarthritis in 4 and a ligamentum teres tear in 2. Along with the primary diagnosis of a labral tear, twelve of the 20 patients had a secondary diagnosis of chondral injury and or Femeroacetabular Impingement as well. There were no complications reported. Conclusions. Hip Injuries in athletes are reported late and Chondral Flaps and Ligamentum teres tears are under-diagnosed. Most athletes have a good chance to return back to the original level of sport within 4 months following hip arthroscopy. However, about 40% do continue to have some form of pain. Hip arthroscopy is a safe and effective method for diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular disorders in elite athletes

Septic arthritis is a therapeutic emergency with a high mortality rate (about 11%)(1). Inadequate treatment can cause permanent joint damage. Management of the septic arthritis includes prompt antibiotic treatment as well as joint-decompression and removal of purulent material(2). It is still discussed controversially and there is little evidence which surgical concept is preferable: arthroscopy with lavage and debridement or open arthrotomy with synovectomy(3,4). The aim of the study was to compare efficacy of arthroscopy and arthrotomy in patients with septic gonarthritis. We evaluated 70 consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopy or arthrotomy at our clinic, because of a bacterial monarthritis of the knee between 2002 and 2010. Our primary outcome was the early recurrence of infection (> 3 months after surgery), which made a second surgery necessary. We compared patients who suffered reinfection and those who did not, in regard to the surgery type as well as potential confounders like comorbidity (measured by Charlson comorbidity index), age, body mass index (BMI), Gächter's -, Kellgren and Lawrence - and Outerbridge classification, duration of symptoms and inflammatory parameters. Furthermore we evaluated differences of the confounders between the surgery groups. From the 70 patients 41 were treated arthroscopic and 29 with arthrotomy. In total eight patients (11.4%) had to undergo a second surgery because of early reinfection. The rate was significantly higher in patients treated with arthrotomy (n=6; 20.7%) compared to those treated with arthroscopy (n=2; 4.9%) (p=0.041). Whereas we found no significant influence of potential confounders between the reinfection group and the group where primary eradication was achieved. Patients who underwent arthrotomy were significantly older, had more comorbidities (both p<0.001) and higher grades of osteoarthritis according to Kellgren and Lawrence classification (p=0.023). In order to adjust the study population towards confounders we performed a subgroup analysis on patients of the second and third age percentile. When we repeated our analysis we still found a significant higher reinfection rate in the arthrotomy group (p=0.036). At the same time there were no differences in prevalence of confounders, neither between the two surgery groups, nor between the reinfection and the primary eradication group. Patients with bacterial monarthritis of the knee who were treated with arthroscopy had a significantly lower reinfection rate than those treated with arthrotomy. As arthroscopy is the less invasive and more sufficient method it should be considered the routine treatment according to our data

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the indications and technique of hip arthroscopy for problems associated with total joint replacement. Materials and Methods:. Fifteen consecutive patients underwent arthroscopy post total hip replacement. Two cases had suspected sepsis unproven by aspiration but for medical reasons were unable to undergo arthrotomy. Two cases had intraarticular migration of a broken trochanteric wire and an additional case had progressive loosening of an acetabular screw into the articulation. The remaining 10 cases had persistent and debilitating pain despite negative diagnostic studies (aspiration, arthrogram, CT, etc). Results:. Two cases of joint sepsis were lavaged and debrided arthroscopically in addition to intravenous antibiotics without recurrent sepsis at 2-year follow up. Intraarticular metal fragments and a loose acetabular screw were successfully removed via arthroscopic means in 3 different hips. Ten cases had hip arthroscopy for persistent and debilitating pain despite negative radiographs and aspiration arthrogram. Findings included a loose acetabular component; corrosion at the interface of a metal-on-metal articulation; and 8 had dense scar tissue impingement at the head cup interface and synovitis. Four of those 8 had complete resolution of their symptoms, 3 went on to open arthrotomy, and one has had some improvement and chooses to decline further surgery. Discussion:. Arthroscopy is not a substitute for open hip debridement and/or resection arthroplasty. However, it is of value in difficult cases to improve diagnostic accuracy. This study demonstrates successful removal of wire, beads and a bone screw by arthroscopic means, thus reducing hospital costs and patient morbidity

Skills simulation is increasingly used as a training tool in postgraduate surgical training. Trainee's perception of the value of this experience has not previously been investigated. Our aim was to investigate the value of surgical simulation training delivered by an arthroscopy skills course. We constructed a subject-specific, self-assessment questionnaire based around the ISCP Peer Assessment Tool. The questionnaire was administered to candidates before and after attending the Plymouth Arthroscopy Skills Course. Participant demographic data was recorded. Questionnaire data was interrogated to give an overview of the course, as well as the benefit of site-specific skills stations. Statistical analysis showed the data to be normally distributed. The paired T-test was used to compare mean values. Twelve surgical trainees attended the course – CT2 trainees (n=4); ST3 trainees (n=7); ST4 trainee (n=1). 11 candidates completed both administered questionnaires giving a 92% response rate. The global mean score at the beginning of the course was 2.39. The global mean score at the end of the course was 3.90. The mean improvement was 1.51 (p<0.01; 95% CI = 0.96–2.07). Skill station specific scores all showed improvement with the greatest effect in wrist arthroscopy. CT trainees had a lower mean score compared to ST trainees. Both groups completed the course with similar mean scores. This study shows that arthroscopy simulation improves trainee-reported ratings of surgical skill. It also shows that less experienced candidates derived the greatest benefit from the training. Further research is required to compare self-assessed performance against objective benchmarks using validated assessment tools