Hip Resurfacing
An exciting alternative to total hip replacement is available at Waukesha and Oconomowoc Memorial hospitals with orthopedic surgeons trained in the procedure. The Birmingham HipTM resurfacing system was the first to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use with patients suffering from hip pain due to arthritis or other hip injuries and conditions.
Patient Benefits
Traditional hip replacement requires the removal of the end of the thighbone with the stem of the implant inserted into the shaft of the bone. With hip resurfacing, the implant slides over the end of the bone much like the cap of a tooth. In general, this bone-sparing technique resurfaces the end of your thighbone, or femur, instead of replacing it. The benefits for most patients include:
- A more stable implant than traditional hip replacement offers
- Preserves more of the thighbone should future surgery be necessary
Who's a candidate?
Hip resurfacing is ideal for young, active adults under the age of 60 with arthritis in the hip, hip dysplasia or other conditions that cause pain or limit lifestyle. Your orthopedic surgeon is best qualified to determine if you are a candidate for hip resurfacing.
Rehabilitation and restrictions after surgery
Rehabilitation usually begins the day after surgery with some simple exercises that can be done to help strengthen the muscles in the hip. Your physical therapist will also teach you proper techniques to perform tasks such as:
- Walking
- Repositioning in bed
- Going from lying to a sitting position and back
- Moving from sitting to standing and back
Although these may seem like simple activities, you will need to learn to perform them safely after surgery.
Your rehabilitation continues at home with exercises to enhance your recovery and make activities of daily living easier to manage.
You should be able to return to the activities you enjoyed before hip pain limited your lifestyle after a year. After the procedure, if you jogged or played tennis, you should be able to return to those activities after your first year following hip resurfacing. Before then, more conservative and low-impact activities such as walking, swimming and biking are recommended for strengthening the neck of the thighbone and muscles around your resurfaced hip joint.
How long will the implant last?
While no one can say for sure how long an implant will last, the hope is for a hip resurfacing implant will have a longer life than that of a traditional hip replacement implant. Adhering to recovery and rehabilitation guidelines helps to extend the life of the implant as long as possible.