Acute iatrogenic dislocation following hip impingement arthroscopic surgery

Abstract

This is the first case report of an iatrogenic anterior hip dislocation after arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement with over 1 year of follow-up. This case report describes the clinical course of a patient with symptomatic cam-pincer femoroacetabular impingement. She underwent arthroscopic rim trimming, labral debridement after a failed attempt at labral refixation from suture cut-through, and femoral head-neck resection osteoplasty. The procedure involved supranormal hip distraction for extraction of an iatrogenic loose body (detached metallic radiofrequency probe tip). The patient had an anterior hip dislocation in the recovery room. Immediate closed reduction under general anesthesia and bracing were performed but failed despite the ability to obtain a concentric but grossly unstable reduction. After 3 failed attempts, a mini-open capsulorrhaphy was performed that successfully restored stability. Her postoperative management and outcome are presented. All of the major static stabilizers of the hip (osseous, labral, and capsuloligamentous) were surgically altered, and a multifactorial causation is proposed. Lessons learned are discussed in hopes of minimizing the occurrence of this rare but dramatic complication.