Hip arthroscopy can also be very useful for assessing and treating numerous other hip problems, of which isolated labral tears without pre-existing bony abnormalities are the most common. The labrum is a skirt of fibrous material round the edge of the hip socket, which can be torn by repeated flexion and pivoting manoeuvres. The symptoms of a torn labrum are those of a hip injury and the indications for surgery are also very similar to those for arthroscopic FAI surgery. Tears of the labrum can easily be seen and treated with hip arthroscopy; smaller tears can be smoothed off and sealed with radiofrequency probes with larger ones being repaired or reattached. Hip arthroscopy is also very useful for removing loose fragments from the hip and occasionally for assessing the amount of ‘wear and tear’ in the joint.
