Limitations
This study had several limitations. The surgeons were limited to palpation and static examination of a body in its natural state. Hip arthroscopic portals typically are created under traction and after a standard perineal post is placed for hip arthroscopy. In addition, in an awake injection setting, the clinician may receive patient feedback in the form of limb movement or speech. To what degree palpation or ultrasound will be affected in these scenarios is unknown.
Another limitation is the lack of serial examination by each examiner—intrarater variability could not be gauged. In addition, with only 1 ultrasonographic examination performed, there is the potential that adding ultrasonographic examinations, or having an examiner perform serial physical examinations, could better define the precision of each component. Given the practical limitations of our volunteer’s time and the schedules of 30 expert arthroscopists, we kept the chosen study design for its single setting.
Conclusion
Visual inspection and manual palpation are standard means of identifying common surface anatomical landmarks for the creation of arthroscopy portals and the placement of injections. Our study results showed variance in landmark identification between expert examiners and an ultrasonographer. The degree of variance exceeded established neurovascular safe zones, particularly for AP and MAP. This new evidence calls for further investigation into the best, safest means of performing hip arthroscopic techniques and injection-based interventions.
Am J Orthop. 2017;46(1):E65-E70. Copyright Frontline Medical Communications Inc. 2017. All rights reserved.