Hip Joint Replacement is a surgical procedure
that relieves pain from most kinds of hip arthritis, improving the
quality of life for the large majority of patients who undergo the
operation. Patients commonly undergo THR after non-operative treatments
(such as activity modifications, medications for pain or inflammation,
or use of a cane) have failed to provide relief from arthritis symptoms
Most scientific studies that have followed patients for more than 10
years have found "success rates" of 90 percent or more following
traditional THR.
Distilled to its essentials, THR involves surgically removing the
arthritic parts of the joint (cartilage and bone), replacing the "ball
and socket" part of the joint with artificial components made from metal
alloys, and placing high-performance bearing surface between the metal
parts.
Most commonly, the bearing surface is made
from a very durable polyethylene plastic, but other materials (including
ceramics, newer plastics, or metals) have been used. Patients typically
spend a few days in the hospital after the procedure (5 to 10 days is
most typical), and some patients benefit from a short inpatient stay in a
rehabilitation facility after that to help transition back to living
independently at home. Most patients will walk with a walker or crutches
for 4 to 6 weeks, most will use a cane for another 4 to 6 weeks after
that; after that, the large majority of patients are able to walk
freely. A bewildering number of different implant designs, bearing
surface materials, and surgical approaches have been tried to achieve
one seemingly straightforward goal: improving the quality of life for
patients who have hip arthritis. As with any important life decision, it
makes good sense to get educated on those issues as they pertain to
your hip.
