Hip Replacement
When other therapies fail to provide pain relief due to hip arthritis or osteoarthritis, hip replacement surgery may be the only solution to relieve this pain. A total hip replacement replaces the arthritic hip joint and eliminates the damaged bearing surfaces that are causing the pain. Hip replacement is also used in people with hip injuries, rheumatoid arthritis and other medical conditions, such as a bone tumor or bone loss due to insufficient blood supply.
There are three primary benefits from a hip replacement:- Elimination of pain
- Improved and/or restored range of motion
- Minimum wear and tear
Hip Replacement Symptoms
Symptoms that might lead someone to consider hip replacement include:- Pain that keeps you awake at night
- Little or no relief from pain medications
- Difficulty walking up or down stairs
- Trouble standing from a seated position
- Having to stop activities you enjoy, such as walking, due to pain
Hip Replacement Treatment
Hip replacement surgery used to be an option primarily for adults 60+. But improved technology has made strong and longer lasting artificial joints that are feasible for younger and more active people. However, active people face the possibility of a future hip surgery to replace worn out artificial hip joints after fifteen or twenty years.
Total hip replacement surgery replaces the upper end of the thighbone (femur) with a metal stem and ball and resurfaces the hip socket in the pelvic bone with a metal shell and plastic liner. Together, the ball and liner create the new joint. Surgeons have the choice of anchoring the hip implants securely to bone using either cement fixation or fixation by ‘bone ingrowth’. Damaged cartilage is also replaced with new joint material in a step-by-step process.
One of most common problems after replacement hip surgery is the wear and tear that takes place as the result of normal use. Over time, the body may see polyethylene wear particles as invaders or a source of infection. As the body starts to attack them, this leads to osteolysis, a “dissolving of the bone”, which may result in having to replace the implant. If you are a very active individual or a relatively young patient, your surgeon may prescribe an all-ceramic hip joint or all metal hip joint.
Hip Replacement Products
Most patients take their first steps after surgery with the aid of a walker. Patients with good balance and a strong upper body may opt to use crutches. Transitioning to a cane depends upon two factors. First, restrictions from your surgeon must be followed, because not all surgeons allow full weight to be placed on the leg in the early weeks after surgery. Second, your ability to regain strength will determine if you are physically able to use a cane instead of a walker or crutches. Usual time to return to normal after surgery: 2 to 4 weeks with a cane and 4 to 6 weeks unassisted.
Hip Replacement Resources
The Foundation for the Advancement in Research in Medicine
www.bonesmart.org