| |
|
|
|
| Total Hip Replacement |
|
|
|
|
Hip replacement is surgery for people w ith severe hip damage. The most common cause of damage
is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes pain, sw elling, and reduced motion in your joints. It can interfere
w ith your daily activities. If other treatments such as physical therapy, pain medicines, and exercise
haven't helped, hip replacement surgery might be an option for you.
During a hip replacement operation, the surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from your hip joint
and replaces them with new , man-made parts.
A hip replacement can
• Relieve pain
• Help your hip joint work better
• Improve w alking and other movements
The most common problem after surgery is hip dislocation. Because a man-made hip is smaller than the
original joint, the ball can come out of its socket. The surgery can also cause blood clots and infections.
With a hip replacement, you might need to avoid certain activities, such as jogging and high-impact
sports.
|
| |
Deciding to have knee or hip replacement
Careful discussion and thought can help you make a decision about w hether or not to have knee or hip
replacement surgery. Surgery may or may not be the right choice for you. A key step is to talk to your
doctor about your quality of life and your goals for possibly having surgery. You may also read about the
operation you're considering and talk to others w ith knee or hip problems.
Who benefits from knee or hip replacement surgery?
The most common reason to have knee or hip replacement surgery is severe arthritis pain that limits your
activities. Your doctor may recommend replacement surgery if:
• Pain prevents you from sleeping or doing normal activities
• You cannot move around by yourself and have to use a cane or walker
•
Your pain has not improved with other treatment
•
You understand the surgery and recovery involved
Some people are more willing to accept the limits knee or hip pain places on them, and wait until the
problem is severe. Others will want to have joint replacement surgery in order to continue with sports and
other casual activities.
Most knee or hip replacements are done in people who are age 60 and older. However, many people who
have this surgery are younger. When a knee or hip replacement is done, the new joint may wear out over
time. This is more likely to occur in people with more active lifestyles or in those who will likely live longer.
If a second joint replacement is needed in the future, it may not work as well as the first one.
Is there any harm in waiting?
For the most part, knee and hip replacement are elective procedures. This means these surgeries are
done to provide relief for your pain, not for any other medical reason.
Delaying surgery should not make joint replacement less effective if you choose to have it in the future.
However, if pain is preventing you from moving around well, your muscles around your joint may become
weaker and your bones thinner. This may affect your recovery time once you do have replacement
surgery.
You may not be able to have replacement surgery.
Your doctor may recommend against knee or hip replacement surgery if you have any of the following
issues:
•
You are very obese (weighing over 300 pounds).
•
Your quadriceps, the muscles in the front of your thigh, are very weak. Weak quadriceps could
make it very hard for you to walk and use your knee.
•
You have unhealthy skin around your knee.
•
You've had an infection of your knee before.
•
You have a history of heart or lung problems, which can make major surgery more risky.
•
You have any other health conditions that may not allow you to recover well from joint
replacement surgery
|
Broken hip
Hip fractures are perhaps the most common fracture seen in people 75 years of age or older. While falls and trauma may be the obvious cause, many times, people are more susceptible to hip fracture because of osteoporosis and sometimes the hip will break spontaneously.
The hip joint is made up of the interconnection of two bones in a ball and socket:
1) the socket in the pelvis (acetabulum), 2) the ball (femoral head). Hip fractures refer to the femur fracture.
Almost all hip fractures require surgery and the type of surgery depends upon where in the femur that the fracture is located.
|
|
|
|
|
