Total Hip Replacement
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Total Hip Replacement
If you are suffering from severe hip arthritis causing significant pain, you may be thinking: Is it time to have a Total Hip replacement? A Total hip replacement is a procedure that removes the damaged bone in the hip joint and replaces it with parts usually made of metal, ceramic and very hard plastic. This procedure can allow patients to return to their everyday activities with little to no pain. This is one of the most common surgeries to get patients back to the activities that they love.
The decision to have a Total Hip Replacement should be a collaborative one made by you, your family, your primary care physician and your orthopedic surgeon. You may want to consider having a total hip replacement if you have pain in the front of the hip and leg pain which is:
- Causing difficulty with walking or bending and other everyday activities
- Persisting with or without activity, either day or night
- Limiting your ability to move or lift leg due to stiffness
- Pain in the front of the hip or groin pain.
- Hip soreness, crepitus and pain in the hip while sleeping
- Not relieved by medications, physical therapy or assistive walking devices
Common Causes of Hip Pain
The Anatomy of the Hip
To learn more about the anatomy of the hip and the muscles of the hip, please read this ARTICLE.
Some common conditions that cause hip pain that requires hip replacement surgery include:
- Osteoarthritis. Normal age related “wear and tear” arthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis. Autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation
- Post-traumatic arthritis. Arthritis that follows a significant injury or fracture.
- Avascular Necrosis. An injury to the hip which results in limited blood supply to hip.
To schedule physical therapy at JOI Rehab, please call 904-858-7045.
Realistic Expectations following Total Hip Replacement
Total hip replacements last much longer thanks to improvements in surgical techniques. These implants can last around 20 years. However, there are several factors that affect how long a hip replacement last including patient condition, age, weight and type of surgical implant. The material between the ball and the socket of every hip replacement begins to wear with normal everyday use and activity. Excessive activity or being overweight may accelerate this normal wear and cause the implant to loosen and become painful. Because of this, high-impact activities such as running, jumping or other high-impact sports are not recommended. Activities including unlimited walking, swimming, golf, biking, dancing, hiking and other low-impact sports are realistic activities following a Total Hip replacement.
Dr. Phillip Bell is an Orthopedic Physician at the JOI South Clinic. Dr. Bell completed his orthopedic residency at Carolinas Medical Center/OrthoCarolina where he served as Chief resident and received awards for excellence in research and teaching.
If you want to schedule an appointment with Dr. Bell, please call (904)JOI-2000. or click here: SCHEDULE NOW.
Dr. Phillip Bell