Hip Preservation

How does this happen?
Hip injuries are common in the young athletic population and conditions such as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), labral tears, and microinstability are often under diagnosed. Many hip disorders in adults actually stem from the development of the hip in childhood but are not identified as there is no pain or movement problem. If hip conditions are not recognized, they can cause severe damage to the hip joint and usually can lead to accelerated hip arthritis.

Hip problems can appear in different ways. Symptoms include hip bone pain, especially with twisting activity such as cutting or pivoting maneuvers in athletics, getting in and out of a car, putting on shoes and socks and getting up from a seated position. Pain can also occur with sitting for prolonged periods of time or after performing rigorous athletic activities. Range of motion can be limited and lead to difficulty sitting with legs crossed.

How will we know this is your problem?
A detailed history and physical exam along with X-rays, MRI and CT scans help us make accurate diagnoses and optimize treatment plans. Early diagnosis and treatment of these hip disorders may delay or even completely prevent hip arthritis later in life.

Who do we treat?

We treat a range of people, from young athletes (age 16+) to people in the pre-arthritis stage. Most people we treat have gone to numerous other doctors before seeing us. We hope to give them some answers and relieve their pain.

How can this be treated?
As the only hip preservation program in the state and we can provide the full spectrum of therapies to tailor each patient’s plan of care: physical therapy, diagnostic and therapeutic injections, open surgery, and hip arthroscopy. If surgery is necessary, we use the latest minimally invasive surgical techniques for a faster recovery and to reduce and delay the need for more extensive surgeries.

This is the Doctor You Want!
Dr. Kelly Hill practices at the Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine and Tulane Lakeside Hospital. She is a fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in Hip Preservation and uses cutting edge arthroscopic techniques. Hip preservation, (ie. maintaining the function of the natural hip) has become a rapidly expanding field in orthopaedic surgery over the past twenty years.