This non-operative, outpatient procedure is designed to provide relief for patients with arthritis of the hip join. The technique allows the physician to inject numbing and anti-inflammatory medications with maximum accuracy.
Preparation
The physician swabs the front of the hip and injects a numbing medication. A special X-ray device called a fluoroscope is positioned over the hip.
Injecting the Dye
To make sure the medicine injection is in the hip joint, the physician first uses an injection of dye. The dye shows up on the fluoroscope image. If the dye pools in the soft tissue at the front of the hip joint, the physician adjusts the needle placement.
Finding the Target Area
When the dye reaches the target area – the space inside the joint – the physician is ready to inject the medication.
Injecting the Medication
The rear of the syringe is removed from the needle and a syringe filled with medication is attached. The physician injects the medication into the joint.
End of Procedure
The needle is removed and a small bandage is applied. The numbing medication will provide short-term pain relief, while the anti-inflammatory medication will aid in long-term relief.