Anatomy

The hip may be a ball-and-socket joint. The ball, at the highest of your thighbone (thighbone) is named the limb head. The socket, known as the socket, may be a a part of your pelvis. The ball moves within the socket, permitting your leg to rotate and move forward, backward and sideways.

In a healthy hip, soft-tissue known as animal tissue covers the ball and also the socket to assist them glide along swimmingly. If this animal tissue gets worn down or broken, the bones scrape along and become rough. This condition, degenerative joint disease, causes pain and restricts motion. AN unhealthy hip will create it painful to steer or maybe to urge in or out of a chair. If you’ve got been diagnosed with hip inflammatory disease, you’ll not would like surgery. anti-inflammatory drug medication (NSAIDs) and/or physiatrics might give relief. But, if these efforts don’t relieve symptoms, you must consult AN orthopaedic MD.

Hip replacement Methods

There area unit 2 major surgical approach strategies for activity a complete hip replacement:

the posterior approach (more common)

the anterior approach (sometimes known as the “mini-anterior approach” or “muscle-sparing hip replacement”)

To begin the operation, the hip replacement MD can create incisions on either the rear (posterior) or front (anterior) of the hip. each approaches supply pain relief and improvement in walking and movement inside weeks of surgery.

 Hip Replacement Safety

Hip replacement surgery has been performed for years and surgical techniques area unit being improved all the time. like any surgery, however, there area unit risks. Since you may not be able to move around abundant initially, blood clots area unit a specific concern. Your doctor can provide you with blood thinners to assist stop blood clots from occurring. Infection and harm also are attainable, as area unit risks related to mistreatment anaesthesia.

Other less common considerations that you just and your doctor should be careful for are:

Your legs might not be of equal length when the surgery.

You must take care to not cross your legs or to not sit too low as a result of the joint is also disjointed.

Pieces of fat within the bone marrow might become loose, enter the blood and acquire into the lungs, which might cause terribly serious respiratory issues.

Nerves within the hip space is also separated from swelling or pressure and may cause some symptom.

The replacement components might become loose, break, or become infected.

Risks of hip replacement surgery
Complications of a hip replacement can include:

• hip dislocation
• infection at the site of the surgery
• injuries to the blood vessels or nerves
• DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
• a fracture in the bone around the hip replacement during or after the operation
  differences in leg length

Recovery
The day after surgery, a physical therapist will teach you specific exercises to regain full hip movement. During your hospital stay, you will work with a physical therapist once or twice a day.

An occupational therapist and nurse discharge planner will help you prepare for your discharge from the hospital. After you return home, you will work with a physical therapist three to four times a week.

The length of stay in the hospital will vary, depending on the type of surgery you have.

If you have minimally invasive, two-incision hip surgery, your hospital stay will be at least one day.
If you have a primary total hip replacement, your hospital stay may be three days.

Complications
Many thousands of hip replacements are carried out each and every year without any complications at all. However, hip replacement is a big operation and, as with all major surgery, there are some risks and complications. The chance of complications varies according to your general health. Your surgeon will discuss the risks with you.

Most complications are fairly minor and can be successfully treated. However, it’s important to be aware of the possible complications and to report any problems straight away. Although they’re rare, some complications can be serious and you may need another operation to correct them.