Total Hip Replacement
Conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, injury or bone tumors may lead to breakdown of the hip joint and eventually require the need for hip replacement surgery. The goal of hip replacement is to relieve pain and improve the function of the hip joint so that you can get back to enjoying simple activities like standing, walking and even driving.
During hip replacement, the surgeon removes the diseased bone tissue and cartilage from the hip joint. The healthy parts of the hip are left intact. Then the surgeon replaces and resurfaces the bones in the joint with new, artificial parts, recreating the smooth gliding surfaces that were once intact.
Talk to your physician about hip replacement surgery if you can answer yes to any of these questions:
- Are you having hip pain that awakens your or keeps you awake at night?
- Does persistent hip pain and disability interfere with your daily activities (walking, lifting yourself up, climbing stairs, exercising, shopping)?
- Have you tried other treatments like walking aids, medication or physical therapy?
Standard hip replacement may not always be the best treatment option for hip pain, especially for people younger than 55. With many years of activity ahead of them, these people can put a lot of stress on their replaced hip joint. Hip resurfacing is a surgery that replaces the damaged outer surfaces of the femoral head found at the top of the thighbone and, if necessary, the cup-shaped socket where the thighbone meets the pelvis in the hip joint.
Hip resurfacing removes less bone than a hip replacement and maintains a better ball-and-socket joint. The chances of hip dislocation are less than with hip replacement, and people usually find the hip eventually feels normal after the surgery. In addition, if the hip resurfacing parts eventually need to be replaced, there is enough bone remaining to do a standard hip replacement.
Hip resurfacing can help with a number of conditions, including:
- Osteoarthritis, the leading cause of hip pain
- Developmental dysplasia of the hip
- Avascular necrosis of the hip or hip osteonecrosis,
Who is a Candidate for Hip Resurfacing?
Ideal candidates for this procedure are younger, active patients with degenerative or inflammatory arthritis of the hip. Patients older than 65 also can benefit from resurfacing if their bone quality is strong enough to support the implant.