Restore comfortable hip movement and get back to the activities you love. Dr. Stephanie Buza, our fellowship-trained hip preservation surgeon, specializes in hip arthroscopy for impingement, labral injuries, and related joint damage affecting athletes, dancers, and active people.
Correct Impingement
and Preserve Your Hip
Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows Dr. Buza to examine and treat problems inside your hip through small incisions called portals. A tiny camera provides a detailed view of the joint while specialized instruments are used to address damaged tissue or structural issues. For impingement, excess bone can be reshaped to reduce abnormal contact during movement. Arthroscopy can also address labral and cartilage damage while preserving your hip joint.
Hip Arthroscopy Treats:
- Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
- Hip labral tears
- Hip cartilage damage
- Loose cartilage or bone fragments within the joint
- Snapping hip symptoms in appropriate cases
- Certain tendon and soft tissue problems around the hip
- Hip pain caused by structural abnormalities
- Mechanical symptoms such as clicking, catching, or locking
- Hip conditions that limit movement, sports, dance, or other activities
The #1 Procedure for Hip Impingement
Hip impingement, or femoroacetabular impingement, occurs when the shape of your hip causes abnormal contact between the femur and hip socket. This repeated contact can create a painful pinching sensation when you flex, rotate, squat, run, or perform demanding dance movements.
Hip arthroscopy is Dr. Buza’s primary procedure for treating hip impingement. Through small incisions, she uses an arthroscope and specialized instruments to identify and reshape the excess bone causing the impingement. By improving clearance between the bones, the procedure addresses the source of painful contact and helps your hip move more freely.
Benefits of Hip Arthroscopy:
- Small incisions compared with traditional open hip surgery
- Less disruption to surrounding muscles and soft tissues
- Direct visualization of structures inside the hip joint
- Ability to treat hip impingement and associated labral damage
- Preservation of the natural hip joint
- Precise reshaping of excess bone contributing to impingement
- Potential for less postoperative pain than open surgery
- Potential for a faster recovery than more extensive open procedures
Your Hip Arthroscopy Procedure
Hip arthroscopy is performed through several small incisions called portals rather than one large incision. Your hip is gently positioned to create working space inside the joint. Dr. Buza inserts an arthroscope to view the labrum, cartilage, bones, and other structures. Small surgical instruments are introduced through additional portals to treat the specific problem.
For hip impingement, Dr. Buza may perform a femoroplasty or acetabuloplasty, carefully reshaping excess bone on the femoral head-neck junction or hip socket to reduce abnormal contact. If the labrum is torn, it may be repaired using small suture anchors that secure it back to the socket. Damaged cartilage or other abnormal tissue may be treated when appropriate. The instruments are then removed, and the small incisions are closed.
Will I Need Physical Therapy Afterward?
Yes, physical therapy is an important part of recovery. Early rehabilitation focuses on protecting repaired tissues, maintaining appropriate mobility, and gradually restoring walking pattern. As healing progresses, exercises build hip and core strength, stability, and movement control. If you’re an athlete or dancer, later rehabilitation can incorporate running, jumping, pivoting, and other performance-specific movements before you return fully to regular activity.
Return to Activity After Hip Arthroscopy
Recovery is gradual and depends on what was treated during your procedure. You may use crutches with limited weight-bearing for about 2 to 4 weeks, particularly after labral repair, while physical therapy begins early to restore motion and prevent stiffness. During the first 6 weeks, avoid running, jumping, squatting, pivoting, and other high-impact or forceful hip movements. As strength, mobility, and control improve, you can add cycling, strengthening, and more demanding exercises. Jogging may begin after about 3 months when you meet appropriate recovery milestones. Sport- and dance-specific training generally follows, with many patients progressing toward unrestricted activity in about 4 to 6 months. Your exact timeline depends on your procedure and Dr. Buza’s guidance.
Move Better. Feel
Stronger. Get Back Out There.
Schedule Your Consultation for Hip Arthroscopy in NYC
Dr. Stephanie Buza is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with dedicated fellowship training in hip preservation at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). With hip arthroscopy for hip impingement as the #1 procedure in her practice, she provides individualized care focused on helping you return to the activities you love. Schedule your consultation for hip arthroscopy with Dr. Buza in New York City today.
