What is a total hip replacement?

Hip arthroplasty, or what's also known as total hip replacement, involves replacing the entire hip joint after the hip undergoes significant damage due to hip arthritis, avascular necrosis, or general wear-and-tear of the joint cartilage. When the hip becomes so severely damaged, it can make it incredibly challenging to engage in daily tasks and something as simple as sitting can be difficult to do. The hip can also become stiff, making it hard to change your socks and shoes. Also, walking and standing up from a chair can become painful.

The hip is the biggest ball-and-socket joint of the body, which is covered with smooth articular cartilage that ensures a seamless range of motion. However, due to the hip’s ability to bear the rest of the body’s weight, it is vulnerable to potential injuries or degenerative conditions such as the following:

• Hip osteoarthritis results in stiffness and pain in the hips due to wear and tear of the cartilage in the hips. When the cartilage degenerates, the joint space between the bones decreases. As a result, the bones begin to painfully rub against one another, resulting in pain and immobility.
• Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic degenerative disease related to the autoimmune system, resulting in the immune system attacking its own cells. As a result of recurrent inflammation, the joint cartilage becomes damaged, leading to swelling, pain and deformity.
• Post-traumatic arthritis is a form of osteoarthritis that arises from an injury such as a dislocation or fracture of the hip.
• Osteonecrosis/avascular necrosis results in the degeneration/death of the proximal part of the femur due to vascular disruption. The death of the bone can cause the subchondral bone to resorb and the joint to collapse.

How do you perform total hip replacement surgery?

Total hip replacement is done by creating an incision above the affected area of the hip by penetrating through multiple layers of tissue. Afterwards, Dr Grey surgically removes the affected bone and cartilage, preserving the remaining healthy bone. Next, he inserts the new socket within the pelvic bone and places a metal stem above the thighbone, which is then covered with a replacement ball.

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