Hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement

The purpose of this article is to give a general overview of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and how it could be treated arthroscopically, with some details about indications, the procedure itself and some of the complications associated with the surgery. FAI is a dynamic condition of the hip that can be a source of pain and disability and could potentially lead to arthritis. When symptomatic, and if conservative treatment fails, FAI can be addressed surgically. The goal of surgical treatment for FAI is to recreate the spherical contour of the femoral head, improve femoral offset, normalize coverage of the acetabulum, repair/reconstruct chondral damage and repair/reconstruct the labrum to restore normal mechanics and joint sealing. Advances in equipment and technique have contributed to an increase in the number of hip arthroscopy procedures performed worldwide and have made it one of the more common treatment options for symptomatic FAI. Hip arthroscopy is a procedure with an extremely steep and long learning curve. Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2018;3:121-129. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.3.170041