Surgical dislocation and periacetabular osteotomy through a posterolateral approach: a cadaveric feasibility study and initial clinical experience

Capsular and pericapsular contributions to acetabular and femoral head perfusion

BACKGROUND

Capsular and pericapsular vessels are believed to contribute to acetabular and femoral head perfusion, but, to our knowledge, there is no anatomic study to support this theory. The purpose of this study was to describe the vascular anatomy of the hip with particular reference to the contributions of the capsular and pericapsular vessels.

METHODS

Twenty fresh cadavers were dissected twenty-four hours after intra-arterial injection of colored silicone. The arteries supplying the hip were followed by careful dissection from their origins outside the pelvis to their terminal branches. Particular attention was paid to the vessels traveling between the acetabulum and the capsule and the femoral head.

RESULTS

In all twenty specimens, the hip capsule received blood supply from the superior and inferior gluteal arteries proximally and from the medial and lateral femoral circumflex arteries distally. The contributory vessels entered the capsule peripherally and superficially. The circumflex arteries supplied the anterior capsule. The gluteal arteries supplied the posterior and posterosuperior aspect of the hip capsule, augmented by contributions from the circumflex arteries. Variable anastomoses were found between the gluteal and femoral systems on the capsular surface beneath the gluteus minimus and short hip external rotators. The medial femoral circumflex artery provided the dominant blood supply to the femoral head in eighteen specimens, and the inferior gluteal artery provided the dominant supply in two specimens.

CONCLUSIONS

Capsular and pericapsular vessels that contribute to the blood supply of the acetabulum run on the posterior and posterolateral surface of the capsule. The dominant blood supply to the femoral head comes from vessels that approach the joint posteriorly and penetrate the joint near the femoral attachment of the capsule.

Hip disease in the young, active patient: evaluation and nonarthroplasty surgical options

As a distinct entity, femoroacetabular impingement has been suggested to be a preosteoarthritic mechanism. The condition occurs when the proximal femur repeatedly comes into contact with the native acetabular rim during normal hip range of motion. Early diagnosis and surgical management are imperative to delay degenerative changes associated with these conditions. Femoroacetabular impingement is most prevalent in young, active patients. Physical examination should include evaluation of gait and foot progression angle, as well as leg length measurement, hip range of motion, and abductor strength. Imaging studies, including plain radiographs and magnetic resonance arthrography, aid in accurate diagnosis. Surgical treatment options include surgical hip dislocation, periacetabular osteotomy, and hip arthroscopy.