What is Femoroplasty?
A femoroplasty is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of any bony abnormality or cam lesion on the femur and reshaping the femoral head and neck junction into a round and normal sphere. Tissue damage like labral tearing is also addressed during this procedure.
Femoroplasty is performed when the non-operative cam impingement treatments fail to alleviate pain. Both femoroplasty and acetabuloplasty might be required for treating mixed-type impingement, which can be performed during the same surgery.
Anatomy Of The Hip Joint
Our hip joint is one of the largest weight-bearing joints of our body and is the point where the femur or the thighbone and acetabulum or pelvis join. It is a small ball-and-socket joint and the surface of the joint is covered by smooth articular cartilage. The cartilage cushions and enables a smooth movement of the hip joint. Labrum, tendons and ligaments that encase the hips and support the joint movement, bring stability to the joint.
When Do You Need A Femoroplasty?
A femoroplasty is a surgical procedure that helps in treating cam impingement. Cam impingement is a type of hip impingement and is also named Femoroacetabular impingement or FAI.
Cam-type Femoroacetabular impingement is a major cause of intraarticular pathology and also secondary osteoarthritis in the case of young adults.(1)
FAI or Femoroacetabular impingement is a condition where there is excessive friction in the hip joint due to the presence of bony irregularities. Cam impingement involves the femoral side of the hip joint and this happens when the head of the femur and the neck are not properly round. This lack of perfect roundness along with excess bone (bony abnormality or cam lesion) results in abnormal contact between the two surfaces. This can cause hip pain, especially during hip movement.
Femoroplasty is the procedure that removes the bony abnormality or cam lesion on the femur and thus reshapes the femoral head and neck junction into a round and normal sphere, using specific instruments and treating the problem in hip motion.
You will need a femoroplasty when conservative treatments like medications, injections, physical therapy, and rest fail to resolve the symptoms of Cam impingement like pain in the front, side, or the backside of the hip, groin pain when hip activity is performed, pain in the inner hip or groin area after walking or sitting for a long time, difficulty walking uphill, lower back pain, locking or clicking sensation in the hip. Restricted movement of the hip, and pain in the buttocks.
How Is Femoroplasty Performed?
Femoroplasty is performed with hip arthroscopy, i.e. a minimally invasive technique. The procedure is performed under regional or general anesthesia. Hip arthroscopy makes use of an arthroscope or a narrow tube having a tiny camera and light source on the end, which is essential for assessing and repairing any damage to the hip joint.
During the procedure of femoroplasty, the surgeon makes 2-3 small incisions about ¼ inch in length around the affected hip joint. The arthroscope is inserted through one incision and along with it, a sterile solution is pumped into the joint so that the joint area is expanded and the surgeon gets enough room to work.
Through other tiny incisions, miniature surgical instruments are inserted and the cam lesions or the bony abnormality on the femur are removed and the femoral head and neck junction is reshaped into a round and normal sphere. Labral tearing is also generally addressed during this procedure. Once the surgical procedure is completed, the surgical instruments and arthroscope are removed, and all incisions are closed and properly covered with a bandage.
What Are The Risks and Complications of Femoroplasty?
Femoroplasty is generally a safe procedure; however, just like any other surgery, few risks, and complications might be there. Such complications include bleeding, infection, damage to nerves and vessels, pain after the surgery, rarely dislocation, blood clots, and anesthetic or allergic reactions.
What Is The Recovery Time After Femoroplasty?
After femoroplasty or the surgical cam impingement treatment, the post-operative recovery includes a focused and properly planned physical therapy program that begins immediately after surgery. This helps to regain proper hip motion. Generally, patients would be on crutches for 4-6 weeks. Results from femoroplasty have been quite promising.
