Periacetabular Osteotomy

Peri = around

Acetabular = hip socket

Osteotomy= cutting bone

A PAO is a surgery done through a 3 inch incision on the front of your hip.

Cuts are made in the pelvis around the hip socket.
Once the hip socket is free, the socket can be rotated in multiple directions and is repositioned over the femoral head. This repositioning is patient-specific due to each individual’s anatomy.

X-ray, CT, and MRI all aid in giving different information to the surgeon and they are all used to calculate the ideal “correction” for a patient’s hip.

Who needs a PAO?

The majority of the time, PAO surgery is considered for shallow or maloriented sockets in patients who have healthy cartilage, and are having pain in their hip that is limiting their ability to be active.

  • For some, this can be pain that impedes their ability to participate in sports.

  • Others have pain on a daily basis with regular activities. Difficulty walking around school or the grocery store are examples.

PAO surgery has been around for over 40 years and has long term data showing that this is effective for pain control, improved function, and extends the longevity of the native hip (delays or prevents the development of arthritis)