Hip Replacement

Why Might I Need a Hip Replacement?

Hip replacement is a treatment you might need if all other approaches to treating your hip pain fail to relieve your symptoms.

The most common cause of hip pain and stiffness is osteoarthritis. This degenerative disease occurs when the smooth coating of cartilage that protects the bones in your joints erodes. The erosion leads to friction between bones and results in inflammation.

Other forms of arthritis, certain types of fractures, and conditions like osteonecrosis (bone death) sometimes require surgery. Hip replacement is also an option for people who are born with hip abnormalities.

Conservative treatment options like activity modification, physical therapy, and medication often relieve hip pain, at least for a time. Persistent or severe cases might benefit from joint injections containing anti-inflammatory steroids.

When these treatments are no longer effective, your provider at Beaufort Orthopaedic Sports & Spine might suggest hip replacement surgery.

What Does Hip Replacement Surgery Involve?

Hip replacement surgery or hip arthroplasty typically involves replacing both parts of your hip joint with artificial components. Wherever possible, the team at Beaufort Orthopaedic Sports & Spine uses minimally invasive techniques to avoid tissue damage.

Your hip forms where the ends of two bones meet. The top of your thigh bone (femur) forms a ball shape called the femoral head. The pelvic bone forms a socket called the acetabulum into which the femoral head fits.

Your Beaufort Orthopaedic Sports & Spine surgeon removes the damaged cartilage and bone from the femoral head and the acetabulum. They replace the femoral head with a prosthetic ball that has a long metal stem to secure it into your femur.

They also replace the acetabulum with a metal socket. Your surgeon might need to use screws or bone cement to hold the new socket securely in place. Between the new femoral head and acetabulum is a spacer made of metal, ceramic, or plastic to minimize friction.

What are Partial and Revision Hip Replacements?

Your surgeon might recommend a partial hip replacement if one part of your hip joint is healthy enough to save. This is less common than total hip replacement because the most common cause of hip problems is arthritis, which tends to affect both parts of the joint.

Revision hip replacement is a surgery you might need if anything goes wrong with an existing hip replacement. Hip replacement surgery is one of the safest and most successful forms of orthopaedic surgery, but sometimes a joint wears out or develops a fault.

If this happens, your surgeon can perform a revision hip replacement to replace the damaged or faulty components.

To find out more about hip replacement surgery, call Beaufort Orthopaedic Sports & Spine today or book an appointment online.