Arthroscopic Management of Femoroacetabular Impingement

Morphological and spatial abnormalities of the proximal femur and acetabulum have been recently recognized as causes of femoroacetabular impingement. During joint motion in hips with femoroacetabular impingement, abnormal bony contact occurs, and soft tissue structures (chondral and labral) often fail. Femoroacetabular impingement has been reported to be a contributor to early-onset joint degeneration. Ganz et al have described good midterm success with an open surgical dislocation approach to reconstruct normal joint clearance. The purpose of this report is to discuss relevant literature and describe an arthroscopic approach to treat femoroacetabular impingement. This approach has particular relevance in high-demand patients, particularly in athletes seeking to return to high-level sport.