What is arthroscopy?
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows Dr. Boone to examine your hip or knee joints, diagnose the cause of your symptoms, and possibly repair the problem. This surgery is done using an arthroscopic miniature camera fitted with lighting and specialized surgical tools that are all designed to fit through small incisions.
The smaller incisions cause less bleeding and promote a quicker recovery compared to traditional open surgery. Arthroscopy may be performed on nearly any joint. However, it’s most often used to diagnose and treat the knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, ankle, and hip joints.
What conditions may require hip arthroscopy?
Dr. Boone may recommend hip arthroscopy when symptoms like pain and limited movement don’t improve with nonsurgical treatments. He often performs arthroscopy to repair two common conditions:
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
FAI develops when extra bone grows along one or both bones in the hip joint. This gives the bones an irregular shape that damages the joint. There are three types of FAI:
- Pincer: extra bone extends over the rim of the socket or acetabulum in the pelvis like a pincher on a crab claw.
- Cam deformity: the head or ball of the femur isn’t round and causes a mismatch in the circular socket. The bump on the edge damages the cartilage in the acetabulum. Think of a mismatched puzzle piece or the common “round peg in a square hole” phenomenon.
- Combined: both the pincer and cam deformities are present in the same patient
Labral tear
The labrum is a piece of cartilage that protects the rim of the hip socket. It improves joint stability by providing a negative suction seal to the ball and socket joint. A tear in the labrum is common in active patients and when torn, can cause a significantly painful hip.
What is robot-assisted hip surgery?
Robotic-assisted surgery allows Dr. Boone to use minimally invasive procedures to more accurately place and design your specific hip implant. During your minimally-invasive procedure, Dr. Boone may repair or replace damaged tissues using robot-assisted techniques, such as:
Stryker Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Technology
Using the Mako’s robotic arm, Dr. Boone creates a 3D image of your hip or knee, which is used to plan your procedure. He then uses the robotic arm to shape the bone for your specific hip or knee implants. With robotic-arm assisted technology, the placement is more accurate than can be achieved during a routine surgical procedure.
Smith & Nephew NAVIO Surgical System
The NAVIO is a handheld robot-assisted system that has built-in imaging to create a 3D image. After using the image to plot out your procedure, Dr. Boone uses the device to repair your hip problem.
Both robot-assisted techniques can more accurately gauge the precise depth, location, and extent of your specific problem, resulting in exceptionally accurate surgery. This allows preservation of more healthy tissue through less invasive techniques and overall faster and more accurate recovery.
To learn more about your options for minimally invasive robotic hip surgery call Dr. Christopher R. Boone or book an appointment online.
