For 17-year-old Nick Locilento, football is a way of life. So when he injured his right hip on the field last season, he was afraid that his passion for the game would need to be put on hold. Still, he played out the entire season without telling anyone about the pain that he was feeling. He said, “It was extremely irritating; it felt like somebody was constantly stabbing you.”

Sheryl Neely, 40, is not a competitive athlete, but this emergency dispatcher and mother of two had similar hip pains. Even the everyday things that we take for granted, like getting out of a chair and walking up and down the steps, seemed unbearable.

Regardless of their age, they were suffering from the same problem. Both individuals had small tears in the labrum, which is the cartilage that lines the socket portion of the hip. For them, John P. Salvo, M.D., Director of Sports Medicine at The Cooper Bone and Joint Institute, recommended arthroscopic hip surgery. Dr. Salvo has developed the region’s only Hip Arthroscopy Center at the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute in Voorhees, N.J.

“Many people consider hip pain as a sign of aging or think that the only people affected are individuals over the age of 50, and that just isn’t the case,” said Dr. Salvo.

The procedure, using small incisions and specialized tools, has been used to treat knees and shoulders for years. “Historically, arthroscopy has been a challenge for hips because the joint is deep, tight and surrounded by thick muscles,” said Dr. Salvo. “But new technology is now making it easier. With specialized arthroscopic instruments, torn cartilage or loose bodies can be repaired or removed as needed.”

Arthroscopic techniques can be used to treat many hip conditions, such as labral tears, hip impingement, snapping hip, articular injuries and removal of loose bodies. Minimally invasive hip arthroscopy is performed on an outpatient basis, allowing patients to return to their normal activities quickly and safely.

Even professional athletes are relying on this new procedure to get back in the game as quickly as possible. Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley had it done several months ago, as did Alex Rodriquez from the New York Yankees. Golfer Greg Norman credits hip arthroscopy for getting him back on the pro tour.

“Treating the problems early can prevent a hip from degenerating rapidly,” said Dr. Salvo. “Once the procedure is done, a person can be back to their normal routine quickly and safely.”

Two weeks after his surgery, Nick was already weaning himself off of the crutches, and, in less time than that, Cheryl was back to work and walking on her own.

For more information on Hip Arthroscopy or other treatments at the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute, call 1.800.8.Cooper (1.800.826.6737) or visit www.cooperhealth.org/hip.