hip replacement

If you have persistent hip pain and fit any of the following descriptions, you may be a good candidate for hip replacement surgery:

• Hip pain that limits your everyday activities such as walking, bending and getting in and out of vehicles
• You are no longer able to manage joint pain with typical over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®) or acetaminophen (Tylenol®)
• Activities you used to take part in such as golf, bicycling and exercising have become too painful to continue
• Less invasive treatments, such as cortisone injections and physical therapy, do not relieve your pain

Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which your hip joint is replaced with a prosthetic implant.

Hip Replacement Procedure Steps:

• The diseased head (ball) of your hip joint is removed
• A metal stem is placed into your thighbone (femur)
• A metal or ceramic ball is then placed on the metal stem in your thighbone, forming the first half of the new hip joint
• The pelvis section is reshaped and lined with a metal or ceramic cup, creating a new socket to house the ball
• The socket may receive a plastic liner to keep the new joint moving smoothly
• The ball is slipped into the socket to restore movement and create the new joint