*SURGICAL DISLOCATION WITH DEBRIDEMENT AND REALIGNMENT FEMORAL OSTEOTOMY IN THE TREATMENT OF COMPLEX IMPINGEMENTS OF THE HIP

Abstract

The Author presents results 2–4 years following treatment of seven patients with complicated hip impingements with this new combination of operations.

Seven patients, aged 15–35yrs were treated by contemporaneous surgical dislocation and debridement of the hip with contemporaneous corrective subtrochanteric femoral osteotomy.. The dislocation and dedridement were performed in the usual way, but the seating chisel for a 95deg blade plate was introduced(to correct varus/valgus) before the trochanter was osteotomised. After debridement, the blade plate was used to transfix the trochanter in position. A separate subtrochanteric osteotomy was then performed at the upper end of the gluteus maximus insertion to provide correction of version and/or valgus/varus where indicated. The plate was removed six to twelve months later.

There were no perioperative complications. Weight-bearing was restricted until bone healing was complete [8–13wks]. Thereafter patients mobilised normally.. At review, all patients were pleased with the outcome. Pre-operative HHS was 62–70: at review it was 90– 96. There were no complications in the medium-term. All patients experienced an improvement in range of movement and exercise tolerance. Avascular necrosis has not occurred overtly and the six patients who had post-operative MRI scans showed no evidence of it.

This new combination of established operations combines the joint conserving benefits of debridement with realignment of the femur in patients with complicated impingements of the hip. The report is preliminary, but the combination of operations appears to be safe in terms of the absence of AVN and effective in its relief of symptoms.