Hip Arthritis and Total Hip Replacement

March 27, 2024, 10:01 a.m. by Dr. Anant Mahapatra ( 1020 views)

Hip Arthritis and Total Hip Replacement:-

Mr. Anant Mahapatra, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon(MS, FRCS,MCh Orth, FRCS Orth,FFSEM,FIOA)

Eoin Fahey, Specialist Registrar in Orthopaedics, RCSI Hospital Group, Ireland.

The hip is a ball and socket joint. The shape of the joint is important to allow a wide range of movement. The hip joints bear your entire weight when you walk.

Over time your hip joint can become worn. Sometimes there is a reason for the wear to happen such as inflammation, infection, or an abnormally shaped hip joint. Usually, though there is no specific cause for arthritis.

Illustration credit to www.raediopaedia.org

When arthritis happens the main results are pain around your hip or stiffness. The pain is usually focused mainly in the groin. This pain can prevent you from sleeping at night. It can also interfere with your ability to walk longer distances or perform physical activities.

Illustration credit: https://www.kneehipandshoulder.com/conditions/hip-problems/hip-arthritis/

Illustration credit: http://www.svuhradiology.ie/case-study/osteoarthritis-hip/

The early treatment of arthritis is usually to take over the counter painkillers, such as paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory.

Physiotherapy can help with stretching to reduce stiffness and exercises to strengthen the muscles around the hip.

By decreasing the load on your hip you can also help with the pain. This can be done by losing weight if you are overweight, or by using a walking stick.

If these measures do not give enough relief then there is an option to have surgery. The aim of this surgery is to relieve the pain and improve your ability to walk and function normally. The surgery is called a Total Hip Replacement. It involves making an incision over the hip, removing the bone with arthritis and replacing it with synthetic material. The bone of both the socket and the ball is replaced – usually with a hard-wearing plastic and metal. This provides a good, low-friction joint that works well. The recovery after a hip replacement takes approximately 6 months, and most people use crutches or a walking aid for the first 3 months after the operation. There are some risks involved with the surgery. The chances of these risks depends on your underlying health conditions and history and your surgeon can explain these in more detail. Overall though it is an extremely effective operation, if done for the correct condition, with satisfaction rates of patients frequently reported to be 95%.

Illustration Credit: https://www.orionortho.sg/total-hip-replacement-using-direct-anterior-approach-daa