Hip arthroscopy consists in making two or three small incisions the size of a fingernail, by which a camera and small instruments for cleaning intra articular are introduced or to correct some flaws. The use of LASER still does not show its benefits as closely as in the surgery of the knee or spine.

Conflict of the hip:

When someone has a conflict in the hip, refers to the realization of movements that cause minor trauma within the jointgiving pain to the subject, usually young athletes; pain is targeted in the inguinal fold and sitting for a long time can be difficult, the person may feel and/or hear cracking in the joint. All this may be due to a conflict with acetabular labrum which is not more than a fibrocartilaginous structure attached to the edge of the acetabulum, its function is essential for good joint kinematics; another cause is a capsular retraction.

Physical examination in the query can objectify a limitation in the joint amplitudes; on radiographs it may be normal or have a slightly larger femoral head or oval.

An arthro scanner or an arthro MRI shows lesions produced by this conflict.
Figure 13 shows two squares, one above that corresponds to a normal joint and one below which gives an example of where the conflict is occuring.

Figure 13: Articular joint conflict

In general, rest and no physical activity can improve symptoms, in cases where it is not enough, an arthroscopy allows for minimally invasive way of treating injuries, as shown in Figure 14, in cases where they are accompanied by an advanced osteoarthritis, joint replacement treatment is indicated.

Figure 14: Arthroscopy of the hip, non-invasive. Joint closed. No scarring

Cartilage injury of the hip:

Different events may affect your joint cartilage, such as sports, micro trauma, and painful movements to the joint, structural malformations, inflammatory and vascular diseases. Depending on the severity of the injury, pain can occur significantly in front or in back of the joint.
Standard x-rays do not contribute to the diagnosis, only a CT or MRI with contrast can define the site of the lesion as shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15: Left image shows a normal joint, see the difference when the right in red indicates cartilage injury.

Specific treatment for cartilage injury hip arthroscopy may be needed especially in cases where the injury is unstable or is associated with a labrum injury, in some cases the natural evolution of these lesions is to osteoarthritis. Figure 16 shows a torn labrum and a little arthritis.

Figure 16: image of a hip arthroscopy, “cotyle” is the acetabulum, the" tete femoral "represents the head of the femur and the center with the probe showing fibrocartilage injury.