Keep your own hip, and keep moving
What is hip preservation surgery?
Hip preservation surgery treats the structural causes of hip pain in younger, active adults before arthritis develops. It includes hip arthroscopy to repair labral tears and reshape bone in femoroacetabular impingement, endoscopic gluteal tendon repair, and periacetabular osteotomy to correct hip dysplasia. The goal is to relieve pain and protect the natural joint.
For runners, golfers, dancers and athletes in their teens to 40s, the hip often hurts because of its shape rather than wear. Dr. Stride completed fellowship training in hip preservation and focuses on fixing those problems while the cartilage is still healthy. Careful patient selection matters: arthroscopy works well in hips with little or no arthritis and is a poor fit when the joint is already worn.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Stride, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeonLast reviewed October 2026
What this includes
Hip Arthroscopy
Hip arthroscopy is an outpatient surgery that uses a small camera and slim instruments, placed through two or three small incisions, to treat problems inside the hip joint.
Read more →PreservationHip Labral Repair
Hip labral repair is an arthroscopic surgery that reattaches a torn labrum, the ring of cartilage around the hip socket, using small anchors.
Read more →PreservationFAI Surgery
FAI surgery is an arthroscopic procedure that reshapes extra bone on the ball (cam) or rim of the socket (pincer) so the hip stops pinching when it bends and rotates.
Read more →PreservationGluteus Medius Tendon Repair
Gluteus medius tendon repair is a surgery that reattaches the torn hip abductor tendons to the outside of the hip bone, done endoscopically or through a small open incision.
Read more →PreservationPeriacetabular Osteotomy (PAO)
A periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is an open surgery that cuts the bone around a shallow hip socket and rotates it into a better position over the ball, then holds it with screws while it heals.
Read more →Compare your options
Arthroscopy vs Replacement
Hip arthroscopy and hip replacement treat different problems.
See the comparison →CompareSurgery vs Physical Therapy
Many hip labral tears improve with physical therapy and activity changes, so a structured therapy trial of about 3 months usually comes first.
See the comparison →Hip pain these treatments help
Pain in the Front of the Hip and Groin
Front of hip and groin pain usually comes from inside the hip joint itself.
Causes & treatment →Hip pain · Outside of hipPain on the Outside of the Hip
Pain on the outside of the hip is most often greater trochanteric pain syndrome, an irritation of the gluteus medius and minimus tendons and the bursa over the bony point of the hip.
Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptomHip Clicking, Popping and Snapping
Hip clicking or snapping, called snapping hip syndrome or coxa saltans, usually comes from a tendon sliding over bone.
Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptomHip Stiffness and Loss of Motion
A stiff hip is most often caused by hip osteoarthritis, which reduces rotation and makes socks, shoes and getting out of a car harder.
Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptomHip Pain When Walking
Hip pain when walking is most often caused by hip osteoarthritis, which brings a groin ache and a limp, or by gluteal tendinopathy, which causes outer hip pain.
Causes & treatment →