Acetabular cartilage repair: state of the art in surgical treatment

Hip preservation has emerged as a developing surgical subspecialty with a variety of tools to address hip joint pain and dysfunction. Cartilage tears and delamination are caused by injury to the hip and can ultimately progress to osteoarthritis. It has been established that the acetabulum is particularly at risk of cartilage injury secondary to trauma, hip dysplasia and hip impingement. In spite of the high frequency of acetabular cartilage lesions based on our experience and the literature, there is no consensus as to the optimal treatment of these lesions. This review article highlights the challenges in treating cartilage injuries of the acetabulum with a particular emphasis on published studies and technical considerations in performing these procedures.