Hip replacement surgery may well be one of the top innovations in modern medicine, providing relief from pain and loss of mobility. As medical technology continues to advance, surgical treatments have been able to provide viable options for those who suffer pain and the inability to enjoy mobility in their day-to-day lives. For those who suffer osteoarthritis—considered one of the ten most disabling diseases among developed countries—the implantation of an artificial hip or knee joint may well be the only chance for a normal, active life.
As the baby boomer generation strives to stay active, long into their golden years, the number of joint replacements will continue to rise. Although hip replacements were once reserved for those over the age of sixty—under the assumption that this group would be less active—therefore place less stress on their new hip joint—many younger people are undergoing hip replacement surgery in order to increase their overall quality of life. That being said, the majority—about 65%--of all hip replacement surgeries performed across the globe are for patients over the age of 65.
The hip is the body’s second largest weight-bearing joint, following the knee; it is a ball and socket joint at the pelvis and leg junction. The thigh bone has a rounded head which forms a ball. This ball fits into a cup-shaped socket known as the acetabulum. Connecting the ball to the socket are ligaments which strengthen the joint and give it stability. The hip joint is able—through the ball and socket structure—to rotate through a 360-degree circle. The femur can rotate on its axis about 90 degrees at the hip joint, meaning only the human shoulder joint offers the same level of mobility. Each hip joint must be able to support at least half of the body’s weight, not including additional forces placed on the body through activities such as running and jumping. Very physical activities can multiply the forces on the hip joint to several times that exerted by the body’s weight alone.
Surgery to replace the hip joint with an artificial joint is generally recommended when the benefits of that surgery are believed to outweigh the risks. Patients who experience hip pain every single day of their lives which limits everyday activities such as walking or bending, hip pain experienced while resting or at night, stiffness in the hip joint which limits the patient’s ability to move the leg, and inadequate pain relief from physical therapy, walking supports or anti-inflammatory drugs are likely candidates for a hip replacement surgery. Artificial hip joints are engineered to duplicate the motions of the human joint to the greatest extent possible.