Hip Resurfacing Compared To Total Hip Replacement

Two years after the surgery he finds resurfacing patients do have slightly more range of motion in their movements than his older patients who ve undergone total hip replacement.

Hip resurfacing compared to total hip replacement.

Hip resurfacing arthroplasty hra has emerged as an alternative to total hip arthroplasty tha in young active patients 1 2. If hip resurfacing is an option the surgeon will simply reshape the damaged surface of the femoral ball and. The difference between hip resurfacing and total hip replacement both hip surgeries are full joint replacement procedures says dr. Rather than replacing the entire hip joint as in a total hip replacement hip resurfacing involves shaving and capping only a few millimeters of the joint surface.

In a conventional hip replacement the pain from a diseased hip is relieved by replacing the ball and the socket. With improving hip resurfacing results a number of studies have compared the outcomes of standard primary total hip arthroplasty to resurfacing hip arthroplasty 1 14 20. While there are many purported advantages of hra perhaps the most controversial is the claim that hra results in higher activity levels compared to conventional tha 3 7. However the early failures of hip resurfacing appear to be greater than for total hip replacement 2 2 vs 1 9 with the majority of the early failures due to femoral neck fracture.

The risk of dislocation is much lower for hip resurfacing because the ball portion of the joint can remain larger. Hip resurfacing is an alternative technology to total hip replacement that is aimed at treating painful conditions of the hip in younger active patients. Arthritis of the hip in most cases is primarily a wearing away of the cartilage on the ball and socket of the hip joint leading to painful rubbing of bone on bone. However only a surgeon is able to tell whether a hip resurfacing or total hip arthroplasty is what you need.

These studies have reported similar to superior post operative activity levels functional scores and survival rates in the resurfacing patients. This may make hip resurfacing a better choice for people who need to squat for work. Depending on the amount of damage caused by arthritis a surgeon may recommend hip resurfacing or total hip replacement surgery to a patient. The hip joint is a simple ball and socket shape.

Whether the newer forms of hip resurfacing will be successful long term is unknown. The best candidates for hip resurfacing are men under 60 who have strong healthy bone. Both surgeries treat the ball and the socket in the hip joint. Total hip replacement is like removing the ball and replacing it with a metal ball whereas resurfacing is capping the ball.

But there are differences in the implant materials used and in the degree to which the joint anatomy is affected. The ball is at the top of your thigh bone and the socket is in the side of your pelvic bone. How does it compare to conventional hip replacement.