Editorial Commentary: The Importance of Capsular Closure Following Hip Arthroscopy—Leave No Trace: An Outdoorsman’s Ramblings

After a decade-long paradigm shift and an evidence-based enormous increase in the prevalence of hip arthroscopic procedures, hip capsular closure following arthroscopy, once a rare procedure, is now performed in the majority of surgical cases. This results from improved surgeon experience, refined surgical technologies and techniques and an explosion of research regarding stability of the hip joint. Once viewed as inherently stable, it is become clear that meticulous capsular management and closure can not only maintain joint stability but is a treatment for and/or prevents micro-instability. Recent research shows that hip capsular closure can improve outcomes and return to sport rates in the highest demand athletes having hip arthroscopy. Close the capsule!     

Synoviale Erkrankungen und freie Körper des Hüftgelenks

Synovial disorders and loose bodies are one of the most common indications for hip arthroscopy. Arthroscopic intervention has been reported for loose bodies, synovial plicae, synovial chondromatosis, pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) as well as rheumatoid and septic arthritis. One major advantage in comparison to radiologic imaging is the ability to inspect, biopsy, and treat within one procedure. In contrast to an arthrotomy, hip arthroscopy avoids the potential risks of extensive surgical exposure and prolonged rehabilitation. Nevertheless, hip arthroscopy cannot be promoted as curative in all synovial disorders. In patients with loose bodies, synovial plicae, initial septic arthritis and, to a certain extent, PVNS curative therapy and "restitutio ad integrum" can be achieved. In contrast, in patients with synovial chondromatosis and rheumatoid arthritis, the goal of hip arthroscopy is to enable the correct diagnosis and to provide symptomatic relief and maintain or improve joint function. Success or failure of arthroscopic treatment depends on proper patient selection and a correct arthroscopic technique.     

Editorial Commentary: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Management of the Hip Capsule During Arthroscopy: Has It Become Personal?

The management of the capsule during hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome has been in the spotlight during the last decade. Although there is robust biomechanical evidence that preserving the anatomic integrity of the iliofemoral ligament is important for the stability of the hip joint, the effect of capsular management on patient outcomes is often debated in clinical studies. Mid-term and long-term follow-up studies have shown that capsular closure is associated with decreased risk of hip arthroscopy failure, but no difference in patient outcomes based on capsular management has been found by some case series studies. What is driving the controversy in the literature? It seems to stem from the variation in surgical techniques used to perform hip capsulotomy or capsular repair, worldwide. Given that improvement in patient outcomes must be prioritized, it is time to use the existing knowledge appropriately to establish evidence-based guidelines for the management of hip capsule during hip arthroscopy.     

Editorial Commentary: Hip Preservation and Opioids

Approximately one-third of patients undergoing arthroscopic hip preservation surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and labral tears are on preoperative opioid medications. The single most important predictor for prolonged chronic postoperative opioid use is preoperative use. Despite the well-documented high success rates in nonarthritic, nondysplastic individuals undergoing hip arthroscopy, up to half of those individuals on preoperative opioids may still be on opioids at 1 to 2 years of follow-up. Mental wellness disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, substance abuse) significantly impact both pre- and postoperative pain, function, and activity in nearly all joint and general health outcome measures. Multimodal pain management strategies have shown excellent reduction in perioperative opioid utilization. Intraoperative techniques should strive for comprehensive true hip preservation: labral repair, accurate cam/pincer morphology correction, and routine capsular management. Objective, quantitative pain threshold and pain tolerance measurements may improve treatment decision-making, with better prediction of surgical outcomes. Future personalized health care may use a single individual’s mu opioid receptor (OPRM-1 gene) and a number of other genetic markers for pain management to reduce the need for traditional opioid medications. Is opioid-free hip arthroscopy possible? Absolutely. Will the opioid epidemic end? Yes, but we have a lot of work to do.     

Diagnostic arthroscopy in injuries of the knee joint

Diagnostic arthroscopy is indicated, if other methods of diagnosis have reached their limits. It has become indispensable to proper assessment of injuries of the menisci, cartilage, synovial folds, and plicae and for suspicion of isolated cruciate knee ligament rupture. The practicability or impracticability of an arthroscopic operation in a given case, of course, has bearings upon indication for diagnostic arthroscopy. Patients are usually examined in general anaesthesia, with the joint filled with liquid, using a 30-degree widle-angle lens and a video system. Probing of intra-articular structures is absolutely necessary. The following two specific groups of indications have gained particular importance in knee injuries: Acute arthroscopy is imperative in any case of hemarthrosis with unknown aetiology (ligament injuries were found in 67 per cent of these patients), and it is the diagnostic and therapeutic procedure of choice in acute locking of the knee. Diagnostic arthroscopy should be followed by re-arthroscopy, if the further clinical course cannot be explained by the findings already recorded or in case of new symptoms or additional symptoms in the wake of arthroscopic operation or if major symptoms persist. In the latter case, re-arthroscopy should be performed not later than four to six months from first treatment. Re-arthroscopy revealed a need for another arthroscopic operation after earlier diagnostic arthroscopy in 48 per cent of all cases and after previous arthroscopic operation in 63 per cent.     

Editorial Commentary: Arthroscopy for Borderline Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip: Selection Determines the Outcomes

Although the literature has presented results that favored arthroscopic procedures in treating borderline developmental dysplasia of the hip (BDDH), it remains controversial whether arthroscopic surgery would be better than periacetabular osteotomy for BDDH. Instead of a debate on the application of arthroscopy, the issue worthy of discussion should be distinguishing suitable BDDH candidates for hip arthroscopy. First, identification of patients with real BDDH is critical for making management choices. Second, it should be distinguished whether the major symptoms result from mechanical lesions or functional hip instability. Third, once hip arthroscopy is suggested for BDDH patients, relative contraindications such as advanced age and osteoarthritis should be taken into consideration, in addition to labral repair and capsular closure or plication intraoperatively. In conclusion, more long-term and high-grade evidence is still demanded to end the debate, but we believe that an individualized management strategy based on an accurate diagnosis and comprehensive assessment will bring optimal outcomes for BDDH patients.     

Arthroscopic Labral Repair in the Hip: Surgical Technique and Review of the Literature

Hip pain can be caused by multiple pathologies. Injuries to the acetabular labrum are the most common pathologic findings identified at the time of hip arthroscopy. Five causes of labral tears have been identified; these include trauma, femoroacetabular impingement, capsular laxity, dysplasia, and degeneration. Studies have shown the function and the importance of the labrum. To restore function of the labrum, new surgical techniques, such as suture anchor repair, have been described. The goal of arthroscopic treatment of a torn labrum is to relieve pain by eliminating the unstable flap tear that causes hip discomfort. The goals of these treatments are to maintain the function of the hip joint and decrease the development of premature arthrosis.     

Editorial Commentary: Restoration of Hip Capsular Tension Is More Important Than Repair Construct Configuration

The debate regarding optimal capsular management during hip arthroscopy has been evolving for over 20 years. Femoroacetabular impingement emerged in the arthroscopic world in the early 2000s. However, the ability to address osseous deformities and decompress and/or reshape them was limited by the hip capsular structures and small capsulotomies. Some surgeons attempted to arthroscopically manage these deformities with limited capsulotomies, with not surprisingly limited success. Others made larger capsular windows (capsulectomies) to more accurately manage these deformities but potentially left some patients with varying degrees of iatrogenic microinstability or macroinstability. Over time, an increasing awareness of post-arthroscopy instability in the form of case reports, case series, and backroom chatter among the hip arthroscopy thought leaders brought the idea of routine capsular closure to the forefront. Biomechanical studies defined the role of the hip capsular ligaments, the deficits created with various capsulotomies during surgery, and the ability to restore stability after capsular repair. Clinical studies revealed better outcomes and lower revision rates after capsular repair for subtle osseous and soft-tissue instability, revision cases, and athletes compared with unrepaired capsulotomies. Various capsular repair constructs (side-to-side repairs, capsular shifts, and various suture configurations and suture materials) have been proposed, without evidence to support a superior technique or suture material. In the end, capsular management is an evolving art that takes into account various patient-specific factors (i.e., individual activity requirements, soft-tissue and osseous parameters, and intraoperative impressions) with the end goal of achieving a stable, impingement-free joint. There might be various capsular management roads to travel, but the destination remains the same.     

Labral lesions: An elusive source of hip pain case reports and literature review

Three cases are presented highlighting varied aspects of labral lesions as a primary or contributing source of mechanical hip pain; including one chronic labral tear associated with old trauma, an acutely entrapped labrum, and a degenerative labral tear associated with osteoarthritis. The diagnosis of labral lesions may be elusive. Arthrography, double-contrast arthrography followed by computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging all have been reported in the assessment of these lesions with variable success. Often, the clinical presentation, including history and physical examination, will yield useful information. A fluoroscopically guided intra-articular injection of the hip is a very useful diagnostic tool for differentiating an intra-articular source of hip symptoms, such as labral lesions, from an extra-articular source. Labral tearing can readily be assessed by arthroscopy and many can be successfully addressed by operative arthroscopy. However, there are many variations in the arthroscopic anatomy of the acetabular labrum.     

Editorial Commentary: Optimizing Surgical Management of Ankle Fractures: Is Arthroscopy the Answer?

The surgical management of ankle fractures can be an unforgiving endeavor. Subtle malreductions in fracture fragments lead to significant deviations in joint reactive forces and, consequently, accelerated arthritis. The diagnosis of associated ligamentous pathology, such as deltoid and syndesmotic injuries, is often difficult and ideal surgical management is debated. Ankle fractures that are seemingly optimally managed using traditional surgical techniques may remain persistently painful and function poorly—a scenario that begs the question, was there more to the injury than met the eye (or radiographs)? Here, unrecognized concomitant intra-articular injuries and subtle surgical malreductions have been implicated. In my practice, concurrent ankle arthroscopy at the time of definitive acute ankle fracture reduction and fixation results in improved accuracy of reduction, evaluation and management of concomitant syndesmotic and ligamentous injuries, assessment and treatment of occult intra-articular injuries, options for less-invasive fixation techniques through arthroscopic reduction, and a means to provide prognostic patient information. I typically reserve its use for fracture patterns that have been more closely associated with intra-articular injuries: high-energy mechanism injuries, Weber B and C fibula fractures, and those with a high likelihood of syndesmotic disruption based on preoperative imaging. Despite these intuitive advantages, concurrent ankle arthroscopy for acute fracture fixation is not routinely performed by most orthopedic surgeons, and a relative dearth of literature regarding its use and clinical impact remains.     

A Rare Fracture,an Even Rarer Treatment: The Arthroscopic Reduction and Internal Fixation of an Isolated Femoral Head Fracture

This case report describes the first documented arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation of a rare isolated femoral head fracture without associated dislocation. A large suprafoveal osteochondral fracture was arthroscopically reduced by use of crossover techniques gained from experience performing arthroscopic femoroacetabular impingement surgery. An innovative “chopstick” maneuver was used to rotate the mobilized osteochondral fragment into anatomic position, followed by arthroscopic Herbert screw fixation. Relevant surgical techniques and clinical outcome are presented. Although this case shows arthroscopic osteosynthesis for a rare fracture, the techniques described herein may permit broader arthroscopic applications. As hip arthroscopy evolves, the role of arthroscopic surgery in the traumatized hip may expand beyond diagnostic arthroscopy and foreign/loose body removal. An anatomic reduction with stable internal fixation permitting early joint motion trumps the ability to perform outpatient arthroscopic procedures. However, if the equivalent procedure can indeed be accomplished in a safe and minimally invasive manner, one can envision a future expansion of the role of hip arthroscopic surgery in fracture management.     

Editorial Commentary: Hip Arthroscopy—The Tissue-Friendly Evolution

The field of hip arthroscopy is saturated with low-level studies. A systematic review of these low-level studies provides low-level evidence favoring tissue-friendly restorative techniques such as labral repair and capsular repair over nonrestorative techniques such as labral debridement and capsulotomy. Iatrogenic complications such as nerve injuries and heterotopic ossification remain the most common complications of hip arthroscopy. This indicates that there is a further scope in improving the safety of hip arthroscopy. There is a need for innovative, well-designed benchtop and high-level clinical studies for rapid advancement in hip arthroscopy techniques.     

Editorial Commentary: Iliopsoas Tenotomy for Pain After Total Hip: A Great Operation IF the Diagnosis Is Right

Iliopsoas tendon pain can be a frustrating condition for both patients and surgeons after total hip arthroplasty. It is difficult to diagnose definitively, as there is no imaging modality that offers reliable information and there are numerous causes of persistent groin pain in this patient population. The pain can ruin the results of an otherwise well-functioning total hip arthroplasty. Patients who respond best to arthroscopic iliopsoas tenotomy are those with isolated pain with hip flexion activities and reproducible pain with resisted hip flexion on examination or other provocative iliopsoas maneuvers. Patients with these symptoms in addition to more generalized pain findings (pain with weight-bearing, pain at night, pain with passive range of motion) tend not to respond as favorably to isolated iliopsoas tenotomy. In addition, optimal treatment for refractory cases has been controversial historically, as both acetabular component revision and iliopsoas tendon lengthening have been advocated. With the ever-increasing popularity of hip arthroscopy and recent clinical outcome reports, arthroscopic (or endoscopic) iliopsoas tenotomy has proven to be a very safe and effective treatment option for these patients, with one caveat: the diagnosis must be correct.     

髋关节滑膜软骨瘤病的关节镜下治疗

[目的]探讨关节镜治疗髋关节滑膜软骨瘤病的方法和疗效,初步提出髋关节滑膜软骨瘤病的镜下分型。[方法]自2001年3月～2008年5月本院收治髋关节滑膜软骨瘤病患者21例,其中男15例,女6例;手术时年龄17～49岁,平均32.4岁;左侧9例,右侧12例。采用关节镜技术取出游离体并行滑膜切除术。病变位于外周间室者术中放松牵引进行手术,对于髋臼窝病变,需要借助弧形刨削刀和可折弯射频。[结果]所有患者术后症状缓解,MRI显示关节积液减少或消失,随访时间11个月～8年,平均45个月,Harris评分由术前的56.2分增加至随访时92分,疗效优良率85.7%。随访期内未见复发。[结论]髋关节镜治疗原发性髋关节滑膜软骨瘤创伤小、术后功能恢复快、效果满意。髋关节滑膜软骨瘤病的镜下分型可以指导手术操作并避免遗漏病变。     

The hip joint: arthroscopic procedures and postoperative rehabilitation

Recent technological improvements have resulted in a greater number of surgical options available for individuals with hip joint pathology. These options are particularly pertinent to the relatively younger and more active population. The diagnosis and treatment of acetabular labral tears have become topics of particular interest. Improvements in diagnostic capability and surgical technology have resulted in an increased number of arthroscopic procedures being performed to address acetabular labral tears and associated pathology. Associated conditions include capsular laxity, femoral-acetabular impingement, and chondral lesions. Arthroscopic techniques include labral tear resection, labral repair, capsular modification, osteoplasty, and microfracture procedures. Postoperative rehabilitation following arthroscopic procedures of the hip joint carries particular concerns regarding range of motion, weight-bearing precautions, and initiation of strength activities. Postoperative rehabilitation protocols that have been typically used for surgeries such as total hip arthroplasty are often not sufficient for the population of patients undergoing arthroscopic procedures of the hip joint. Postoperative rehabilitation should be based upon the principles of tissue healing as well as individual patient characteristics. As arthroscopic procedures to address acetabular labral tears and associated pathology evolve, physical therapists have the opportunity to play a significant role through the development of corresponding rehabilitation protocols.     

Editorial Commentary: Hip Arthroscopy Evolution and Causes of Failure

Hip arthroscopy use has grown as a result of expanding indications; improved imaging including higher resolution magnetic resonance imaging with stronger magnetic fields and the advent of 3-dimensional computed tomography revealing the nuances of hip joint morphology; increased specialized training; improvements in instruments and implants; a record of successful outcomes; and increased understanding of microinstability, focal acetabular undercoverage or occult dysplasia, indications for labral reconstruction and capsular plication, and, most of all, femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, the leading diagnosis for which hip arthroscopy is performed, in the orthopaedic community as well as the general medical and athletic communities. We now know that labral repair results in better outcomes than labral debridement, and evidence suggests that capsule closure leads to better long-term success. Osteoarthritis and its correlate, advanced age, result in inferior survivorship after hip arthroscopy, which is unsurprising; hip preservation surgery is not designed to treat irreparable cartilage damage. Association of female sex with hip arthroscopy failure requires additional investigation. More females undergo hip arthroscopy than males, and females initially present with greater disability. Females tend to have smaller alpha angles, greater femoral and acetabular anteversion, and lower center edge angles than males, consistent with increased prevalence of hip dysplasia. Thus surgeons indicating females for hip arthroscopy should be aware of atypical locations of cam lesions, borderline dysplasia, or ligamentous laxity, all of which must be appropriately respected at the time of surgery. With all of the improvements we have made in techniques, patient diagnosis and surgical indications, and our overall understanding of complex anatomy and a technically challenging surgery, we can speculate that our long-term survivorship will only improve. I await with interest the long-term outcomes we will see 10 years from today, with the addition of insight from patient-reported outcome measures to answer these questions with greater certainty.     

(iv) Arthroscopy of the elbow

There has been increasing interest in elbow arthroscopy over the past decade with improved techniques and available technology. The indications for elbow arthroscopy have expanded from loose body excision in the arthritic elbow to a variety of procedures including arthroscopic capsular release and excision of the radial head. Complications are rare but potentially devastating, and meticulous surgical technique is necessary to avoid this. This review describes the indications for elbow arthroscopy as well as the general setup and portal placements. The treatment and outcomes for the arthritic elbow, release of capsular contractures, thrower's elbow and other less common pathologies are discussed.     

Editorial Commentary: Hip Arthroscopy for Patients With Decreased Center-Edge Angle and Bipolar Cartilage Lesions Is Associated With Early Conversion to Total Hip Arthroplasty

The utilization of hip arthroscopy to treat femoroacetabular impingement has continued to grow year after year. Clinical studies and cost-effectiveness analyses have repeatedly shown the benefits of hip arthroscopy in improving quality of life, offering much promise to this patient population. Through years of research, a more comprehensive understanding of impingement pathologies has brought improving surgical techniques. However, predictors of poor outcomes are still not entirely understood. Although many patients attain significant relief, some patients do not attain meaningful improvement. Meaningful improvement can be found even years after hip arthroscopy, but this is a long road for patients who do not find sustained relief. Thus, as with defining appropriate indications for hip arthroscopy, it is equally important to identify factors that may instead suggest alternative treatment regimens for patients with hip pathology who may not benefit from arthroscopic intervention. However, rather than exclude large groups entirely based on the presence of certain factors such as increased age or arthritis, the goal should be to understand the nuances among patients in these higher-risk groups to identify those who may still find success with hip arthroscopy.     

The Role of Comprehensive Capsular Management in Hip Arthroscopy for the Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Advances in the understanding of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and advancements in hip arthroscopic techniques, including chondrolabral preservation and labral repair, have led to improvements in success rates, functional outcomes, and return to sports over the past several years. This improvement in outcomes also is attributed to the increased awareness of performing capsular closure after addressing intra-articular hip pathology, to preserve the biomechanical properties of the hip. A number of biomechanical studies have demonstrated that the iliofemoral ligament is a critical component of hip biomechanics, providing stability and limiting joint translation, distraction, and rotation within the normal range of hip motion. The interportal and T-capsulotomy are the most commonly used methods for accessing intra-articular pathology; both techniques require transection of the iliofemoral ligament perpendicular to its fibers, which may lead to micro- and macroinstability if left unrepaired at the end of the procedure. Several clinical studies have been published in the recent literature demonstrating that patients who undergo hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome and have an unrepaired capsule have lower functional outcome scores, achievement of meaningful outcomes, success rates, as well as greater failure rates and reported pain when compared with patients who have complete capsular closure. Capsular plication of the vertical T-limb and closure of the interporal limb via plication have been reported to improved outcomes. Degree of plication is dependent on dynamic, intraoperative assessment of hip range of motion. The senior author recommends reflecting of the medial and lateral leaflets after T-capsulotomy with polyethylene sutures to provide better exposure of the peripheral compartment, which can be used for closure. The remainder of the closure is performed with a suture-passing device and approximately 2 to 3 interrupted stitches per limb.     

Current status of diagnostic and surgical hip arthroscopy]

Due to the anatomy and topography of the hip, clinical diagnostic procedures are often not very significant. Even the use of highly technical examination methods mostly does not allow differentiation of specific hip problems and do not give exact information about the extent and stage of the lesion. This applies specifically for rheumatoid diseases. Arthroscopy of the hip joint, like other big joints of the extremities, closes this diagnostic gap. Directly visualized findings on the joint, in addition to the results of joint aspiration and histological biopsies, give one security in finding the right diagnosis and planning adequate therapy. The conventional surgical approach to the hip joint leads to large wounds and to corresponding risks and damage to the patient. The advantages of arthroscopy are obvious. It was shown that arthroscopic surgery can be used very efficiently in cases with loose-body, osteochondrosis dissecans, scattered cartilage fragments, or septic arthritis. The other therapeutic application is in cases with rheumatoid arthritis where an arthroscopically assisted synovectomy to the hip achieves a high rate of success without temporary luxation. Diagnostic arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery to the hip have been used in the Orthopedic Department of the University of Ulm since autumn of 1984. The possibilities and limitations of this surgical procedure have been evaluated in more than 100 cases. Based on our experience with arthroscopy on hip joints, we think that this procedure is very helpful for making a diagnosis and administering therapy.