Bulletin of the NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases

Evaluation and treatment of pain following hip resurfacing arthroplasty can be challenging, even for the most experi-enced arthroplasty surgeon. As in any total hip replacement, there are a number of investigative tools at the disposal of orthopaedic surgeons to elicit the underlying causes of pain for diagnosis and treatment. A detailed history and physical examination are the most important first steps in the differ-ential diagnosis of the intrinsic and extrinsic etiologies of hip pain. Serial radiographs from the time of surgery also should be reviewed and compared for changes indicative of loosening, migration, and osteolysis, in combination or alone. Diagnostic injections with local anesthetic agents additionally can be performed to localize the origin of pain. Bone scintigraphy, hip joint aspiration, and laborator