As you age, the protective cartilage that lines the hip joint surface wears away, leading to joint pain and movement limitations. General wear and tear, injury, and arthritis can contribute to joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. When nonsurgical solutions fail to provide effective relief, surgery may be recommended.
Osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the joints, is the most common reason for hip replacement surgery. Injuries such as a traumatic fall may also require the need for a hip replacement. At Orthopaedic Associates in Central Maryland, our joint replacement surgeons perform different surgical approaches for total hip replacement, including traditional, minimally invasive, and anterior, as well as bone-sparing hip resurfacing.
If you are experiencing debilitating hip pain, call (410) 644-1880 for a consultation with one of our hip replacement surgeons in Catonsville, Columbia, or Eldersburg, Maryland, or you can request an appointment online. Your doctor will explain your treatment options and let you know if you are a candidate for hip surgery.
When you need surgery to replace a damaged or diseased hip, some orthopaedic surgeons have advanced training to perform anterior hip arthroplasty, also known as the direct anterior approach to hip replacement.
This procedure is considered less invasive, as it spares the surrounding muscles that support the joint and minimizes scarring, pain, and downtime. Patients can begin rehabilitation sooner and recover faster after having anterior hip replacement, compared to more traditional posterior hip replacement.
Hip resurfacing is a procedure that is used to relieve pain and restore function for people with arthritis or other hip conditions. Unlike traditional total hip replacement, hip resurfacing does not remove the bones in the joint, but instead resurfaces the bone with smooth metal.
Hip resurfacing conserves bone and is a less invasive procedure than total hip replacement. Younger, active people are the best candidates for hip resurfacing. Overall, hip resurfacing is a successful procedure and allows the majority of people to return to the activities they enjoyed before experiencing hip pain.
Minimally invasive hip replacement is an alternative to traditional total hip replacement surgery. People who are smaller in size, younger, and healthy are the most appropriate candidates for this procedure.
During surgery, the damaged joint is removed and replaced with an artificial one. However, because the minimally invasive procedure utilizes one or more small incisions, the recovery process is much easier.
Hip replacement surgery, also called hip arthroplasty, involves removing the damaged portion of the hip and replacing it with an artificial joint.
Your surgeon will make an incision on the side of your hip to access your joint and remove damaged bone, cartilage, or connective tissue. The femoral head (top part of the thighbone) and the cartilage or bone from the hip socket will be removed. Your hip joint will be replaced with an artificial joint, which will allow you to perform most of the pain-free movements that you used to be able to do.