Operative findings and complications associated with adjunctive hip arthroscopy in 95 hips undergoing periacetabular osteotomy.

Purpose: to report our initial experience with adjunctive hip arthroscopy and periacetabular osteotomy (PAO).

Methods: Retrospective review of patients who underwent PAO and ipsilateral hip arthroscopy between 2003 and 2013. Indications for arthroscopy were mechanical symptoms and/or positive magnetic resonance imaging to suggest intra-articular pathology including chondrolabral lesions, ligamentum teres tears and hypertrophy, and synovitis. Preoperative Tönnis arthritis grades, age, sex, operative findings and treatment, complications, and, if available, hip survival were recorded.

Results: Of 78 patients (95 hips) included, 64 (82%) were female and 14 (18%) male, average age was 30.6 (14-63) years. Tönnis grades were 0 in 40 hips (42%), 1 in 45 hips (47%), and 2 in 10 hips (11%). No Tönnis 3 hips were included. 84% of hips demonstrated labral pathology. 92% had chondromalacia, which was severe enough in 4 patients to warrant cancellation of PAO; all 4 have subsequently required total hip replacement at short-term follow-up. Labral debridement was performed in 73 hips and refixation in 7. 5 postoperative complications occurred - none major, including 1 fluid extravasation, 1 case of heterotopic ossification, and 3 transient neuropraxias.

Conclusions: Intraarticular pathology is highly prevalent in patients undergoing PAO with mechanical symptoms, and can be safely managed by adjunctive arthroscopy. Complications were minimal in our series and are comparable to reports of PAO without arthroscopy. Arthroscopy can treat pathology that is inaccessible during standalone PAO and permits avoidance of routine arthrotomy, surgical dislocation, rectus release, and futile PAO in cases with severe articular damage.