A total hip replacement, also called total hip arthroplasty, is a surgery to replace a damaged hip joint with an artificial hip implant.
A hip replacement may be recommended for severe hip pain due to arthritis, a hip fracture, or other conditions that limit mobility and cause hip pain.
Your hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The socket is called the acetabulum, which is in your pelvis. The ball is called the femoral head and sits at the top of your femur, or thighbone. The femoral head sits snuggly in the acetabulum, allowing a wide range of motion in all directions and supporting the weight of the upper body.
Due to disease or injury, a hip joint replacement may be done to replace the painful hip joint with an artificial hip joint. Here is a step-by-step explanation of how the surgery is performed: First, the incision is made.
For a traditional hip replacement, a 10 to 12 inch incision is made on each side of the hip. Depending on the approach, the surgeon will carefully move muscles and tendons aside to access the hip joint. Next, the femoral head is separated from the acetabulum. The surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from the inside surface of the acetabulum to prepare it for the new implant, and reshapes the acetabulum as needed.
Next the artificial hip joint is put in place. The acetabulum is fitted with a metal shell to serve as the hip joint’s new socket. This metal shell may have a surface that encourages bone to grow into it, and/or a type of cement may be used to hold it in place. A plastic or ceramic liner is placed inside the shell to form the interior portion of the new socket.
Next, the femoral head is removed and the femur is reshaped as needed to secure a good fit. The second part of the implant, which is a metal stem, is inserted into the hollow center of the bone. This stem supports a new ball made of metal or ceramic, which fits into the acetabular liner to create the artificial joint.
One both parts of the artificial hip are secured in place, the surgeon inserts the new femoral head into the acetabulum and ensures that the joint moves smoothly and is properly aligned.
The incision is closed with sutures or staples, and a sterile dressing is applied to protect the area. The implants are designed to mimic the natural movement of the hip, restoring mobility and reducing pain.
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