The hip joint is where the ball of the thigh bone (femur) joins the pelvis at a socket called the acetabulum. There is cartilage covering both the bone of the femur and the acetabulum of the pelvis in the hip joint. A joint lining tissue called synovium surrounds the hip joint. The synovial tissue produces fluid that lubricates the joint and provides nutrients to the cartilage of the joint. The hip joint is one of the large joints of the body which enables us to have mobility, helping the thigh move forwards and backwards.
The human hip is a ball and socket joint. It is the most flexible and free-moving joint in the body, and can move backwards and forwards, to the side, and can perform twisting motions. Full function of the hip is dependent on the coordination of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves. If the hip has degeneration from a condition such as arthritis, or becomes injured, hip surgery may be needed, depending on the severity of the case.
Total hip replacement surgery has been performed in the United States since the 1960’s. However, the demand and popularity for this surgery has risen at a rapid pace, particularly for people who are 65 and older. In other words, total hip replacement (or hip arthroplasty) technique has become widespread in recent years in response to the need for improving hip joints that have been damaged by injury or arthritis. According to research, last year, approximately 300,000 Americans underwent a total hip replacement to relieve the pain of an arthritic or fractured hip joint.
A total hip replacement is a surgical procedure where the diseased cartilage and bone of the hip joint is surgically replaced with artificial materials made out of plastic, ceramic, and metal. The normal hip joint is a ball and socket joint, with the socket being a "cup-shaped" component of the pelvis called the acetabulum; the ball is the head of the thighbone (femur). Total hip joint replacement involves surgical removal of the diseased ball and socket, and replacing them with an artificial hip implant, where a metal, ceramic, or plastic ball and cup socket is inserted into the femur bone. Typical candidates for hip joint replacement surgery are patients experiencing hip pain who have not responded well to traditional treatment methods, such as physical therapy or pain medications.
For patients who are recipients of total hip replacement, the implant should last their lifetime, and will most importantly, improve their quality of life by allowing them to go about their lives with minimal pain.
At OrthoUnited, our orthopedic surgeons perform total hip joint replacements using the “direct anterior approach.” This is considered a minimally-invasive procedure, and today’s most accurate technique for hip replacement surgery. This technique is performed as an outpatient procedure, in our ambulatory surgical center operated by Ohio Surgical Suites. By offering our patients the option for outpatient total hip replacement surgery, they often have higher success rates. They can go home just a few hours after surgery, and are up walking, and soon able to put full weight on their new hip, with minimal pain.
To learn more about outpatient total hip replacement, and if you may be a candidate, call OrthoUnited at (844) 469-2663 or use our online appointment request form.
