Cartilage Restoration of the Hip

The management of articular cartilage defects within the hip represents a challenging problem. Surgical options currently available for the treatment of these injuries remain limited. Although restoration procedures for chondral and osteochondral lesions in the knee have been well published previously, there is a paucity of data available to guide surgeons in the selection, technical performance, and anticipated outcomes of these procedures within the hip. The purpose of this review is to outline the indications, surgical techniques, and outcomes for available cartilage restoration procedures of the hip, including microfracture, osteochondral autograft transfer, and osteochondral allograft transplantation.