History of hip arthroscopy

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedure appropriate for an evolving list of conditions. It is routinely used for the treatment of intra- and extra-articular pathology of the hip joint. The development of endoscopy paved the way for the development of arthroscopy. Hip arthroscopy was first described in 1931 by Michael Burman, and its widespread adoption was only achieved some 60 years later during the 1990s. Dr. Watanabe, from Japan, has been credited with the development of modern arthroscopy for his work in developing a practical arthroscope and advancement of both explorative arthroscopy and surgical arthroscopic techniques. More recently, the use of distraction proved as a significant step in the utility of hip arthroscopy and paved the way for future innovations in the procedure. The authors provide a brief overview of the history hip arthroscopy, relevant developments which have paved the way for this procedure and the current state of arthroscopy as a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure.