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Partial Hip Replacement
Helping you get back to your normal life
Partial hip replacement (hemiarthroplasty) removes and replaces the ball of the hip joint. It does not replace the socket. This surgery is most often done to repair certain types of hip fractures.
The ceramic or metal ball is attached to a metal stem. This is called a hip implant. The stem is set down into the core of the thigh bone (femur).
Usually the only patients still considered good candidates for a partial hip replacement are those who do not have underlying arthritis and have healthy acetabular cartilage.
Advantages of of Partially invasive Surgery
Proponents of anterior hip replacement surgery believe it offers several advantages, including:
Less post-operative pain.
Less surgery is required to replace only the ball of femur and not the socket as well. Because the surgery does not require cutting major muscles, patients typically experience less pain after surgery and require less pain medication.
Another advantages for performing a partial hip replacement is that they are more stable. Because the balls are larger they are less prone to dislocation. The Bipolar also is thought to be slightly more stable or resistant to dislocation than the monopolar due to its increased range of motion.
Faster recovery. After surgery, a patient can bend at the hip and bear weight as soon as it is comfortable. Most anterior hip replacement patients can use crutches or a walker sooner than patients who have had a traditional surgery.
Decreased risk of hip dislocation. A major post-surgical worry for most hip replacement patients is that the new hip’s ball and socket will dislocate. However, anterior hip replacement surgery does not disturb the muscles and soft tissue structures that naturally prevent the hip from dislocating, therefore anterior surgical patients are less likely to suffer a hip dislocation.
How is partial hip replacement performed
For open hip replacement surgery, your doctor makes a 15- to 25-centimetre cut (incision) on the side of your hip. You will be asleep during the surgery. Your doctor will then:Remove the damaged bone tissue and cartilage from the hip joint.Replace the ball at the upper end of your thigh bone (femur).
Hip replacement can also be done with one or two smaller incisions. This is called minimally invasive surgery.Surgery may take 1 to 3 hours.
Possible risks and complications of Partial hip replacement
The risks of hip replacement surgery can be divided into two groups. Risks of the surgery and recovery period include:
- Blood clots. These can be dangerous if they block blood flow from the leg back to the heart, or if they move to the lungs.
- Infection. Infection in the wound is usually treated with antibiotics. Infection deep in the joint may need more surgery. In some cases, the hip implant has to be replaced with another one.
- Nerve injury. This is rare. It can cause tingling, numbness, or difficulty moving a muscle.
- Problems with wound healing.
- Problems with anesthesia.
- Hip dislocation after surgery.
- Difference in leg length. Any difference is usually very small and can be corrected by using a shoe insert.
- Loosening of the hip implant in the bone.
You are in Great Hands
Disadvantages of Partial hip replacement
The main disadvantage in performing a partial hip replacement is that the final results are not as consistently perfect. Without question, the gold standard is the total hip replacement
Obese or very muscular people may not be good candidates.
Depending on the surgeon’s experience, this surgery may not be appropriate for obese or very muscular patients, because the additional soft tissue can make it difficult for the surgeon to access the hip joint.
It is a technically demanding surgery. Surgeons face a steep learning curve for this procedure. The anterior incision provides a restricted view of the hip joint, making it a technically demanding procedure.