Science Letters

Clinical Value of External Snapping Hip Treated by Arthroscopic Technique

Amrit Shrestha, Biao Cheng*

Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, No. 301, Yanchang middle road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200072, China

Abstract

External snapping hip is a clinical syndrome that causes restriction of hip movement. It has many causes and is demonstrated by characteristic gait and audible snap heard with hip movement. The aim of this study was to introduce an easy arthroscopy technique to treat the external snapping hip syndrome and evaluate the statistical outcome of the treatment. A retrospective study was conducted on 117 patients with 113 bilateral and 4 unilateral external snapping hips from January 2013 to January 2014. The mean age of the patients was 24 years (range 14-40) years and the median duration of the symptoms was 8 years (range 1-25 years). Mean follow-up period after surgery was 12 months (1-24 months). The adduction range of the hip was 3.7 degree and the flexion range of the hip was 80.9 degree before operation, which increased to 38.8 degree and 113.2 degree, respectively, after operation (P<0.0001). All the patients had a solution of the external snapping hip syndrome, gait abnormality, frog leg position and disability to sit with leg crossed. In addition, the positive ober sign was absent. There was no major complication and no recurrence of the symptoms was found after the operation. We recommend the use of the arthroscopic procedure that is effective, easy, less time consuming, leaves a small scar and fast post-operative recovery.