What is Total Hip Resurfacing

If your hip has been damaged by arthritis, a fracture or other conditions, common activities such as walking or getting in and out of a chair may be painful and difficult. You may even feel uncomfortable while resting.

If medications, changes in your everyday activities, and the use of walking aids such as a cane are not helpful, you may want to consider hip resurfacing surgery. By replacing your diseased hip joint with an artificial joint, hip resurfacing surgery can relieve your pain and help you get back to enjoying normal, everyday activities.

How the Normal Hip Works

The hip is one of your body's largest weight-bearing joints. It consists of two main parts: a ball (femoral head) at the top of your thighbone (femur) that fits into a rounded socket (acetabulum) in your pelvis. Bands of tissue called ligaments connect the ball to the socket and provide stability to the joint.

The bone surfaces of your ball and socket have a smooth durable cover of articular cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones and enables them to move easily.

All remaining surfaces of the hip joint are covered by a thin, smooth tissue called synovial membrane. In a healthy hip, this membrane makes a small amount of fluid that lubricates and almost eliminates friction in your hip joint.

Normally, all of these parts of your hip work in harmony, allowing you to move easily and without pain.

Common causes of hip pain and loss of hip mobility

The most common cause of chronic hip pain and disability is arthritis. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and traumatic arthritis are the most common forms of this disease.

Osteoarthritis usually occurs after age 50 and often in an individual with a family history of arthritis. In this form of the disease, the articular cartilage cushioning the bones of the hip wears away. The bones then rub against each other, causing hip pain and stiffness.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a disease in which the synovial membrane becomes inflamed, produces too much synovial fluid, and damages the articular cartilage, leading to pain and stiffness.

Osteonecrosis is a disease resulting from the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones.

Traumatic Arthritis can follow a serious hip injury or fracture. The articular cartilage becomes damaged and, over time, causes hip pain and stiffness.

Realistic Expectations About Hip Resurfacing

An important factor in deciding whether to have a hip resurfacing is understanding what the procedure can and can't do.

The vast majority of individuals who undergo hip resurfacing surgery experience a dramatic reduction of hip pain and a significant improvement in their ability to perform the common activities of daily living. However, hip resurfacing surgery will not enable you to do more than you could before your hip problem developed.

Following surgery, you will be able to resume almost any of the activities you gave up due to your hip problem.

About the Surgery

The surgical procedure takes a few hours. Your orthopaedic surgeon will remove the damaged cartilage and bone, then position new metal joint surfaces to take away pain and restore function of your hip.

Several different types of designs are currently used for hip resurfacing. All of them consist of two basic components: the ball component (made of a highly polished strong metal) and the socket component (also made of metal).

A special surgical cement may be used to fill the gap between the ball prosthesis and the femur bone to secure the artificial joint. The socket prosthesis is coated with textured metal or a special bone-like substance which allows bone to grow into the prosthesis.

How Your New Hip is Different

You may feel some numbness in the skin around your incision. You also may feel some stiffness, particularly with excessive bending. These differences often diminish with time and most patients find these are minor compared to the pain and limited function they experienced prior to surgery.

Your new hip may activate metal detectors required for security in airports and some buildings. Tell the security agent about your hip resurfacing if the alarm is activated. You may ask your orthopaedic surgeon for a letter confirming that you have an artificial hip, but this is not essential.

After surgery, make sure you also do the following:

Participate in a regular exercise program to maintain proper strength and mobility of your new hip. Take special precautions to avoid falls and injuries. Notify your dentist that you have had a hip resurfacing. You should be given antibiotics before all dental surgery for at least the first few months; some surgeons and dentists prefer that you get these preventive antibiotics for the rest of your life. See your orthopaedic surgeon periodically for routine follow-up examinations and X-rays.

back to top