Total Hip Replacement
Do you experience pain or grinding in one hip (or perhaps both) as you walk? After an injury, degeneration from arthritis, or decades of hard use, hip joints may start to lose functionality. Fortunately for patients in the Cincinnati area, the joint replacement specialists at Beacon Orthopaedics are highly experienced in performing hip replacement surgery, or total hip arthroplasty.
The Number of Hip Replacement Surgeries Continues to Grow
Recently, a study published in The Journal of Rheumatology showed that hip replacement surgery–the medical procedure that removes the damaged or diseased parts of a hip joint, replacing them with new, metal or ceramic parts–has risen significantly and is expected to continue to do so.1
Several factors are contributing to the growth, including longer life expectancy, lowering costs of joint replacement surgery, evolving surgical techniques, and decreasing recovery time. Instead of requiring multiple nights in a hospital, many total hip replacements are being done as outpatient procedures at specialty orthopedic clinics. This contributes to a significant reduction in overall costs, as well as allowing patients to recover in the comfort of their homes, rather than in a hospital environment.
What Does Hip Replacement Surgery Treat?
Once fitted with a new hip, our patients enjoy a dramatically improved quality of life, thanks to reduced pain and increased mobility. Conditions that commonly lead to the need for hip replacement surgery include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Osteonecrosis
- Hip disease
- Hip impingement
- Hip labral tear
- Bone spurs or loose bone fragments
- Synovitis2
Why is Hip Replacement Surgery Performed?
Is standing in place or bending over becoming difficult and/or uncomfortable for your hip? A hip replacement surgery is performed to alleviate the everyday stress caused by bad joints and arthritis. When a patient has one “good” hip and one “bad” hip, they often overuse the good hip in an effort to prevent pain. This ultimately wears out the cartilage in the second hip as well. One big benefit is that a hip replacement allows the person to stop favoring one hip.3
Other goals of hip replacement surgery are:
- Relieve any pain
- Restore range of motion and functionality
- Support and preserve the other hip joint
- Improve walking and other movements
If you experience hip pain that is making it hard to keep up with your favorite sport, work expectations, leisure activities, or just chasing after the grandkids then it may be time to consider a hip replacement.
Your Hip Replacement Doctors
The Hip Replacement Procedure
The hip is the largest ball-and-socket joint in the body, and hip total hip arthroplasty is performed under general anesthesia. During hip replacement surgery, or hip arthroplasty, damaged bone and cartilage are removed from the hip and replaced with prosthetics. In the first step of this procedure, the damaged femoral head is removed. This is replaced with a metal stem, which fits into the hollow center of the femur (thigh bone). Next, a metal or ceramic ball is placed on the top of the prosthesis to replace the damaged femoral head. Any damaged cartilage on the hip socket (acetabulum) is removed, then replaced with a metal socket. Finally, a spacer is inserted between the prosthetic ball and socket to ensure smooth movement.4
Recovery After Total Hip Replacement
Many of our patients are able to return home on the same day as their hip replacement procedure, especially with our outpatient surgery centers at Beacon Orthopaedics, although hospital stays can vary according to each patient’s condition. Patients are encouraged to get moving as soon as possible after receiving their artificial joint, ideally sitting up and walking with a walker or crutches that day or the following day. Patients will need to wear compression stockings or sleeves on their lower legs to prevent blood clots, and may also be given blood thinners.5
Physical therapy is a crucial part of the rehabilitation process after total hip replacement. Patients work with the team at Beacon Orthopaedics gradually regain strength and mobility as they adjust to their hip implant and return to daily activities.
Contact Beacon Orthopaedics
At Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, you will get expert care in a state-of-the-art facility. The skilled teams at Beacon Orthopaedics focus exclusively on orthopedic care, meaning that they are highly specialized. You can obtain the increased benefits of a hip replacement surgery by working with the various members of our team:
- Experienced surgeons and non-surgical doctors
- Specialized physician assistants and nurse practitioners
- Expert physical therapists
- Athletic trainers and medical assistants
To learn more about hip replacement surgery and discuss your treatment options, please contact us.
1 Singh JA, Yu S, Chen L, Cleveland JD. Rates of total joint replacement in the United States: future projections to 2020–2040 using the National Inpatient Sample [published online April 15, 2019]. J Rheumatol. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.170990. Available: https://www.jrheum.org/content/early/2019/04/09/jrheum.170990.tab-references. Accessed February 18, 2022.
2 Hopkins Medicine. Hip Arthroscopy. Available: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/hip-arthroscopy. Accessed February 18, 2022.
3 National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Hip Replacement Surgery. Available: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/hip-replacement-surgery. Accessed February 18, 2022.
4 American Academy of Orthpaedic Surgeons. Total Hip Replacement. Available: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/total-hip-replacement/. Accessed February 18, 2022.
5 Mayo Clinic. Hip Replacement. Available: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hip-replacement/about/pac-20385042. Accessed February 18, 2022.