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Hip joint replacement - Overview

Alternative Names

Hip arthroplasty; Total hip replacement; Hip hemiarthroplasty

Definition of Hip joint replacement:

Hip joint replacement is surgery to replace all or part of the hip joint with an artificial joint. The artificial joint is called a prosthesis.

Description:

The artificial hip joint has 4 parts:

A socket that replaces your old hip socket. The socket is usually made of metal.
The liner fits inside the socket. It is usually plastic, but some surgeons are now trying other materials, like ceramic and metal. The liner allows the hip to move smoothly.
A metal or ceramic ball that will replace the round head (top) of your thigh bone.
A metal stem that is attached to the shaft of the bone to add stability to the joint.

You may receive general anesthesia before this surgery. This means you will be unconscious and unable to feel pain. You may have a spinal or epidural anesthesia. In this kind of anesthesia, medicine is put into your back to make you numb below your waist.

After you receive anesthesia, your surgeon will make an incision (cut) to open up your hip joint. Often this incision is over the buttocks. Then your surgeon will:

Remove the head of your thigh bone.
Clean out your hip socket and remove the remaining cartilage and damaged or arthritic bone.
Put the new hip socket in place, then insert the metal stem into your thigh bone.
Fix all the new parts in place, sometimes with a special cement.
Repair the muscles and tendons around the new joint.
Close the incision.

This surgery usually takes 1 to 3 hours.

$Hip fracture$

Hip fracture

Osteoarthritis vs. rheumatoid arthritis

Hip joint replacement - series

Reviewed last on: 2/9/2009
C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Harkess JW. Arthroplasty of the hip. In: Canale ST, Beatty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 7.

Jones CA. Total joint arthroplasties: current concepts of patient outcomes after surgery. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. Feb 2007; 33(1): 71-86.

St Clair SF. Hip and knee arthroplasty in the geriatric population. Clin Geriatr Med. Aug 2006; 22(3): 515-33.

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