Consultation

Everyone referred to the Hip Arthroscopy Clinic is thoroughly assessed by Professor Griffin and a specialist physiotherapist.

Most people need a variety of scans and we use some of the most advanced medical imaging equipment in the UK to build extremely detailed pictures of the inside of the hip. Using these images, we can see fine details in the shapes of the bones that form the ball and socket, the cartilage that lines the joint, and the rubbery labrum that forms the rim of the hip socket.

It is not unusual for patients to travel long distances to the Clinic so we usually do all of the investigation in a ‘one-stop clinic’. Our explanations about what is happening in a person’s hip often end years of uncertainty and frustration. Surgery isn’t always necessary: often we can reassure people and show them how exercises and rehabilitation can get them back to normal.

Occasionally the hip is so badly damaged that a hip replacement or resurfacing is the only option. But in many of our patients, the best way forward is joint-preserving surgery—an operation to try to rescue the natural hip, relieving pain and improving function.