Anteroinferior portal of hip arthroscopy: An anatomical study

Objective Arthroscopic surgery has been used increasingly in the diagnosis and treatment of hip joint disorders.The anterior articular cavity of the hip joint is important for hip arthroscopy.Surgeons frequently use the anterior portal for entering the articular cavity through the anterior capsule.Considering the fact that the inferior capsule of the hip joint is weaker than the anterior one,we used the anterioinferior portal for hip arthroscopy and evaluated its safety by anatomical studies.Methods We established the anterioinferior portal in 50 cadaveric hips,under fluoroscopic visualization,using spinal needles.Each hip was dissected,and the relation of the pins to the pertinent anatomy was recorded.Results The anterioinferior portal penetrated the muscle belly of the rectus femoris and then went between the iliopsoas and musculus vastus intermedius before entering the joint through the anterior capsule.The direction of the penetration was(42.9±5.34)° cephalad and(29.6±2.67)° posterior.The anterioinferior portal was close to the ascending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery,lying at a mean of 14.2 mm(range 8-20 mm) away.Conclusion The anterioinferior portal of hip arthroscopy has the advantages of easier establishment and higher safety.