Your Step-by-Step Guide to Total Hip Replacement

Joints are vital for various basic motions we make all the time and take for granted, and your hips are a unique ball and socket joint that your lower body couldn’t function without. This is one of the largest joints your body has and connects the pelvis (composed of the ilium, sacrum, and coccyx) with your femur (thighbone) and is around the size of a small apple.

The bones and musculoskeletal tissue in your hips are constantly used to move your legs, support your body weight, and support your upper body. Several types of injuries and conditions can cause pain, mobility problems, and worse. If your hip issues are bad enough to require a total hip replacement, you need to know what to expect from the procedure.

Residents of the Fort Worth, Texas, area struggling with hip problems that require a hip replacement can get it and other joint treatments with Dr. Joseph Daniels and the dedicated team at Southwest Orthopedic Associates.

Reasons for a hip replacement

Here are some reasons to get a total hip replacement:

Arthritis

Advanced osteoarthritis is the most common reason for getting this surgery, and usually happens in people 50 and older. Other forms of arthritis that affect this joint include rheumatoid (an autoimmune disease) and posttraumatic (from serious injury).

Childhood hip disease

Hip problems that infants and children deal with can become arthritic in later life even if they are treated during childhood due to not developing correctly, affecting the joint surfaces.

Osteonecrosis

Also known as avascular necrosis, osteonecrosis in the hip occurs when a dislocation or fracture limits blood supply to the femoral head of the hip bone. The subsequent lack of blood can lead to a collapse in the bone and arthritis.

Understanding the process

The material in the prosthetic replacement can be ceramic, polyethylene, metal, or various combinations of each. The procedure takes up to two hours and is often performed from the posterior, using an incision in the back of the leg close to the buttocks.

After anesthesia is applied, often done in the region to be treated, here’s the process of the surgery, step by step:

• An incision is made through the layers of tissue over the hip.
• All damaged and diseased material is removed until only healthy bone remains.
• The replacement socket is placed into the pelvic bone.
• A metal stem is inserted into the top of the femur and is topped off with the replacement ball of the joint.

Once everything is done and you’re stitched back up, you’re moved into the recovery area as the anesthetic wears off, and your vitals are monitored and tested. How long you stay after depends on your specific needs, but expect to go home the same day.

The recovery timeline often takes up to six weeks. During this time, you’ll undergo physical and occupational therapy and slowly work your way back into your full normal routine. Exercises that help increase your ability to bear your body weight and improve joint motion, flexibility, and balance will be very important during this process.

This is one of the most common surgeries and enjoys a very high success rate. If you have issues that require a hip replacement, make an appointment with Dr. Daniels and Southwest Orthopedic Associates today.