Labral penetration rate in a consecutive series of 300 hip arthroscopies.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative labral injury during the establishment of the first portal in hip arthroscopy has been reported to be as high as 20%.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to prospectively identify the incidence of acetabular labral injuries that occurred while using a current technique for the establishment of portals during hip arthroscopy.

STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS: Between the years 2008 and 2010, data were prospectively collected for all patients undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery. Patients with previous labral resection or Tonnis grade greater than 1 were excluded. Patients were positioned supine, traction was applied, and portals were established. The anterolateral portal was created first by venting the joint with a spinal needle and then re-entering the joint with the same needle with the bevel side facing the labrum. Next, the midanterior portal was created under vision. A thorough examination of the acetabular labrum was conducted arthroscopically through multiple viewing portals, and labral injuries related to the establishment of portals were identified and noted.

RESULTS: A total of 300 patients were included in the study; only 2 patients (0.67%) suffered intraoperative labral injuries at the study period. One injury occurred during revision arthroscopy, while the second involved a hyperplastic labrum in a dysplastic hip. No patient with normal hip morphological characteristics undergoing a hip arthroscopy suffered a labral tear as a result of portal placement.

CONCLUSION: The incidence of iatrogenic labral injury during hip arthroscopy can be as low as 0.67% when using the described technique.