Minimally Invasive Hip Denervation
For patients hoping to avoid total hip replacement, minimally invasive hip denervation is an alternative treatment for hip arthritis. In this procedure, a small incision is made near the front of the hip to expose the hip capsule (the thick fibrous covering of the hip joint). The hip capsule contains the nerves that travel to the hip joint and cause arthritic pain. The hip capsule is cut open to relieve pressure from fluid buildup that occurs with arthritis. In the process of cutting the capsule, some of the nerves that cause pain are cut. The remainder of the nerves are identified and selectively cauterized (burned). Cutting and burning these nerves eliminates most of the pain supply to the hip joint and significantly reduces the discomfort associated with hip arthritis. Benefits of Minimally Invasive Hip Denervation include:
- Can usually be done as an outpatient procedure
- Does not require placement of implants in the hip joint
- If hip pain recurs, a total hip replacement can still be performed at any time in the future