Hip Chondral Lesions

A hip chondral injury refers to damage to the articular cartilage that covers the surface of the hip joint.

They occur as the result of other problems in the hip such a labral tears, loose bodies, posterior dislocation, slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), dysplasia, osteonecrosis, and degenerative arthritis.

Direct trauma to the outer thigh or femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), a condition where excessive friction between the femoral head and acetabulum leads to cartilage damage, can also contribute to these developing a hip chondral lesion.

Patients with chondral injuries often experience:

For mild or early stage lesions, Dr Yu will recommend avoiding high-impact activities that cause further stress to the joint. He will also recommend physiotherapy to strengthen the hip muscles and improve hip joint stability.

Once the lesions progress and cause significant day to day pain and disruption, hip arthroscopy surgery can be performed to remove the damaged cartilage and any loose fragments.

Other surgical procedures that can be performed together with a hip arthroscopy include: