Complications of Arthroscopic Femoroacetabular Impingement Treatment: A Review

Recent developments in hip arthroscopy techniques and technology have made it possible in many cases to avoid open surgical technique for treating pincer-type and cam-type femoroacetabular impingement and rather treating it arthroscopically. Early reports suggest favorable results using arthroscopic techniques. The frequency of complications reported for hip arthroscopy for all indications is generally less than 1.5%, suggesting the procedure is safe. Little information is available on complications directly related to the arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement. Failure to recognize and treat or incompletely reshape impingement deformities may be the most frequent cause for a second hip arthroscopy and redébridement of the deformity. There has been no report of avascular necrosis related to the arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement; only one femoral neck fracture after arthroscopic cam remodeling has been reported in a large series of patients. Other clinical concerns include hip dislocation secondary to extensive capsulotomies or overresection of the anterior acetabular rim in the case of pincer impingement.