When you’re experiencing stiffness in a hip, you may have difficulty standing up out of a chair, walking short distances, or climbing stairs. Total joint replacement helps people regain the quality of life they may have lost to years of pain and limitation caused by joint damage. And hip replacement surgery is one of the most commonly performed joint replacement operations.
Osteoarthritis is the primary cause of joint damage and pain that leads to hip replacement surgery. The hip is a “ball and socket” joint; the upper end of the femur or thighbone, called the femoral head, is the ball. This fits into a part of the pelvic bone called the acetabulum, which is the socket.
Cartilage covers the ball and the socket, allowing your hip to rotate inside. When you have arthritis, the cartilage starts to break down and the bones rub together. This friction causes pain, stiffness, and swelling. You may even experience pain deep in your groin or knees.
Osteoarthritis often develops with age, but it can also develop over time from a joint injury. For many people, medications, exercises, cortisone shots, and other noninvasive measures are enough to manage their pain. Your doctor will always try nonsurgical interventions before recommending surgery.
You may reach a point, however, where you need hip replacement surgery. During surgery, the orthopaedic surgeon removes the damaged tissue. They also replace the femoral head and the socket with prosthetic parts.
Some signs that you should talk to your doctor about hip replacement surgery include:
- Pain that medication can’t control.
- Pain and stiffness that stop you from doing daily activities.
- Significant damage to the joint or advanced arthritis.
- Avascular necrosis, or an injury that cuts off blood supply to the femoral head, leading to arthritis.
In addition to arthritis, some hip fractures also can necessitate replacement if there’s no other way to repair the damage.
Should You Have Hip Replacement Surgery?
Major surgery is a scary prospect. But hip replacement surgery has come a long way over the years, with longer-lasting materials, less-invasive surgical techniques, and faster recovery times.
Statistics reported by U.S. News & World Report have found that hip replacements have become more prevalent in the past decade. In addition, more people under the age of 60 are having the surgery.
“The benefit of minimally invasive surgery for our patients is that we’re able to do surgical techniques through smaller incisions,” says Mark Gardner, DO, orthopaedic surgeon and orthopaedic surgery program director at UPMC Horizon and UPMC Jameson. “These smaller incisions lead to less taking down the muscle, less injury to the patient’s muscular and fascial structures, and we’re able to get a good replacement of the patient’s hip with less damage. This minimally invasive technique enables the patient to leave the hospital sooner and get back to their normal activities of daily living.”
People of all ages who are healthy enough to undergo surgery are possible candidates for the operation. Those who aren’t usually can’t because of a disability. To decide if you should have hip replacement surgery, start with an open conversation with your physician. Make sure you cover:
- Outcomes for someone your age whose health status is similar to yours.
- The risks and benefits of surgery.
- Surgical techniques and recovery time.
- Treatment options if you don’t have surgery.
The younger and more active you are, the more wear your joints will experience. Younger people may need revision surgery at some point in their lives. Fortunately, even revision surgery is safe and allows you to go on with your daily activities.
Choosing to have surgery is a personal decision. Your doctor can talk you through your options to help you find the best path for you. For more information, contact UPMC Orthopaedic Care.
“We will work with a patient to return to their normal activities of daily living with less pain, more function, and overall good results through our team approach,” Dr. Gardner adds.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .