Hip Replacement Surgery

Hip Replacement surgery is performed to remove or replace portions of the hip, specifically pelvis and thigh bone to reset the pain caused by hip stiffness or hip arthritis. The procedure is also recommended by doctors to treat abnormal growth of hip, any hip injuries, or broken hip, and related conditions.

Consider a hip replacement if you experience any of the following signs of arthritis:

1. Significant hip pain that won’t go away after taking medicine and is interfering with daily activities like working or sleeping.
2. Hip stiffness that limits movement and makes walking difficult.

The hip consists of a ball and socket joint, making up the hip. The femoral head is the ball that sits atop your femur (thighbone) and your pelvis contains the “acetabulum” which acts as a socket. Your leg can rotate, move forward, backward, and sideways, and also move when the ball in the socket moves.

A healthy hip has cartilage covering the ball and socket to aid in their easy movement together. If the bones scrape against one another and become rough, it might be because the cartilage has become worn or injured. This condition, known as Osteoarthritis, is a disorder that limits hip motion and produces pain. Walking or even getting in and out of a chair can be uncomfortable when you have an arthritic hip. If hip arthritis has been identified, surgery might not be necessary. Physical therapy or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) may offer relief. But if these measures are ineffective in alleviating your problems, you should see an orthopaedic physician.

Types of Hip Surgeries:

1. Total Hip replacement.
2. Partial Hip Replacement.
3. Hip Resurfacing.

Total hip replacement is the most popular type of hip replacement surgery (also called total hip arthroplasty). In this procedure, artificial implants are used to replace worn-out or damaged hip parts. The socket is changed out for a sturdy plastic cup that might usually consist of titanium metal casing. Your femoral head will be removed and changed out for a metal alloy or ceramic ball. A metal stem that is placed into the top of your femur is connected to the replacement ball.

Based on the specific age groups and the kind of lifestyle one leads, doctors suggest appropriate hip replacement surgeries:

1. Partial hip replacement: Partial hip replacement is performed for older patients who have restrictions. In this procedure, the surgeon shall replace only one side of the hip joint instead of total hip replacement. The femoral head is replaced and this procedure is advised generally to older group patients who are suffering with fractured hips.
2. Hip resurfacing: This procedure is performed for younger patients who lead an active lifestyle. In this procedure, the resurfacing of the femoral head and socket is done for faster recovery.

Surgical Methods for Hip replacement:

For the purpose of completing a total hip replacement, there are two main surgical approaches:

• The backward or commonly called, posterior approach (more common).
• The upfront or commonly called anterior strategy ( mini-anterior approach or muscle-sparing hip replacement).
• The hip replacement surgeon will create an incision on either the front (anterior) or the back (posterior) of the hip to start the procedure. Within weeks of surgery, both methods provide pain relief as well as improvements in walking and movement.

 Preparation for Hip Replacement Surgery:

Patients can take specific actions both before and after surgery to shorten recovery time and enhance outcomes. It’s crucial that you heed the advice given to you by your orthopaedic surgeon, the medical staff, and the rehabilitation therapist. To learn more about preoperative hip replacement details and patient education resources for joint replacement surgery, consult our Orthopaedic Surgeons.