Aims

Hyaline cartilage has a low capacity for regeneration. Untreated osteochondral lesions of the femoral head can lead to progressive and symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hip. The purpose of this study is to analyze the clinical and radiological long-term outcome of patients treated with osteochondral autograft transfer. To our knowledge, this study represents a series of osteochondral autograft transfer of the hip with the longest follow-up.

Aims

Hip arthroscopy (HA) has become the treatment of choice for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). However, less favourable outcomes following arthroscopic surgery are expected in patients with severe chondral lesions. The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of HA in patients with FAI and associated chondral lesions, classified according to the Outerbridge system.

Aims

This study reports mid-term outcomes after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) exclusively in a borderline hip dysplasia (BHD) population to provide a contrast to published outcomes for arthroscopic surgery of the hip in BHD.

Aims

Several studies have reported the safety and efficacy of subcapital re-alignment for patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) using surgical dislocation of the hip and an extended retinacular flap. Instability of the hip and dislocation as a consequence of this surgery has only recently gained attention. We discuss this problem with some illustrative cases.

The repair of chondral lesions associated with femoroacetabular impingement requires specific treatment in addition to that of the impingement. In this single-centre retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of patients we compared treatment with microfracture (MFx) with a technique of enhanced microfracture autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC).

Acetabular grade III and IV chondral lesions measuring between 2 cm² and 8 cm² in 147 patients were treated by MFx in 77 and AMIC in 70. The outcome was assessed using the modified Harris hip score at six months and one, two, three, four and five years post-operatively. The outcome in both groups was significantly improved at six months and one year post-operatively. During the subsequent four years the outcome in the MFx group slowly deteriorated, whereas that in the AMIC group remained stable. Six patients in the MFx group subsequently required total hip arthroplasty, compared with none in the AMIC group

We conclude that the short-term clinical outcome improves in patients with acetabular chondral damage following both MFx and AMIC. However, the AMIC group had better and more durable improvement, particularly in patients with large (≥ 4 cm²) lesions.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015; 97-B:628–35.

Cartilage defects of the hip cause significant pain and may lead to arthritic changes that necessitate hip replacement. We propose the use of fresh osteochondral allografts as an option for the treatment of such defects in young patients. Here we present the results of fresh osteochondral allografts for cartilage defects in 17 patients in a prospective study. The underlying diagnoses for the cartilage defects were osteochondritis dissecans in eight and avascular necrosis in six. Two had Legg-Calve-Perthes and one a femoral head fracture. Pre-operatively, an MRI was used to determine the size of the cartilage defect and the femoral head diameter. All patients underwent surgical hip dislocation with a trochanteric slide osteotomy for placement of the allograft. The mean age at surgery was 25.9 years (17 to 44) and mean follow-up was 41.6 months (3 to 74). The mean Harris hip score was significantly better after surgery (p < 0.01) and 13 patients had fair to good outcomes. One patient required a repeat allograft, one patient underwent hip replacement and two patients are awaiting hip replacement. Fresh osteochondral allograft is a reasonable treatment option for hip cartilage defects in young patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B(11 Supple A):11–16

There have been considerable recent advances in the understanding and management of femoroacetabular impingement and associated labral and chondral pathology. We have developed a classification system for acetabular chondral lesions. In our system, we use the six acetabular zones previously described by Ilizaliturri et al. The cartilage is then graded on a scale of 0 to 4 as follows: grade 0, normal articular cartilage lesions; grade 1, softening or wave sign; grade 2, cleavage lesion; grade 3, delamination; and grade 4, exposed bone. The site of the lesion is further classed as A, B or C based on whether the lesion is less than one-third of the distance from the acetabular rim to the cotyloid fossa, one-third to two-thirds of the same distance and greater than two-thirds of the distance, respectively. In order to validate the classification system, six surgeons graded ten video recordings of hip arthroscopy.

Our findings showed a high intra-observer reliability of the classification system with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.81 and a high interobserver reliability with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.88.

We have developed a simple reproducible classification system for lesions of the acetabular cartilage, which it is hoped will allow standardised documentation to be made of damage to the articular cartilage, particularly that associated with femoroacetabular impingement.