Total hip replacement

                                                                                                           Total hip replacement

What is a total hip replacement?

Total hip replacement or thr is a surgical procedure where in the diseased cartilage and bone of the hip is surgically removed and replaced with artificial materials

Who requires a total hip replacement?

Patients having progressively severe arthritis due to one of the following

Avascularnecrosis of head of the femur(avn)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Ankylosing spondylitis
Transcervical fracture in individual in age group of 50-70

What is done in a total hip replacement?

In a thr the head of the femur(ball) is removed an an artificial part (stem) is introduced, the acetabulum(socket) is resurfaced and an acetabular component(cup) is introduced

What are the types of total hip replacement?

Cemented hip replacement
Uncemented hip replacement

How many days of hospital stay is required?

Typically a 5 day period is required

When can the patient walk after surgery?

Patient can walk the very next day after surgery for a cemented hip

Patient needs to use a walker and walk not putting weight on the hip for 4-6 weeks in case of uncemented hip replacement

What can be done to increase the life of the artificial joint?

Avoid strenuous activities like jogging,running,avoid sitting on the floor or on any stool less than 16 inches high, avoid sitting crosslegged,use a commode with an elevated toilet seat

Recent advances

Large size heads-advantage of large size heads is that the incidence of dislocation is lower and one can squat and sit cross-legged

Alternative bearing surfaces-traditionally the femoral head was metal and the cup was polyethylene, newer technology offers option of metal on metal and ceramic on ceramic bearing surfaces this reduces wear and theoretically suppose to increase the life of the artificial joint

Some of the operated patients

This was a 65 year old man who developed a fracture of his right hip a cemented THR was done

                                                                   X-ray before surgery                                                 X-ray after Surgery

This was a 46 year old lady who had avn of her right hip

                                                                                       avn hip                                                 uncemented THR


This was a 60 year old man who had a fracture of his hip he underwent a fixation primarily his bone did not unite and hence an uncemented hip replacement was done

                                                               hip fracture which did not heal                                     uncemented THR