SATURDAY, March 23, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- The complication rate for hip arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to repair damage to the inside of the joint, is higher than previously thought, a new study finds.
The researchers said previous reports on complications were not comprehensive and did not include new surgical techniques, such as repair of the hip labrum. They suggested their findings could help doctors prevent complications associated with hip arthroscopy in the future.
The new study analyzed information on nearly 600 hip arthroscopies that took place at three hospitals between January 2011 and April 2012. Patients, whose average age was about 32, included an equal number of men and women. Researchers took participants' individual diagnosis, demographic information and procedure into account.
"The overall complication rate after hip arthroscopy was 7.2 percent, which is higher than what has been previously reported in the literature at 1.5 percent," study lead author Dr. Christopher Larson, of the Minnesota Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Institute in Minneapolis, said in a news release.
Sensory disturbance in the leg was the most common complication, occurring in nearly 23 percent of cases. The researchers pointed out that this effect did not persist beyond six months except for four cases.
No difference in complications was seen between male and female patients or between first-time procedures and revisions.
"We hope that our research helps to provide new insights into surgery complications and how to prevent them," Larson said.
The study findings were expected to be presented Saturday at an American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine meeting in Chicago. Data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about hip arthroscopy.
