Revision Hip Replacement
Your hip joints are involved in almost every activity you do. Simple movements such as walking, bending, and turning require the use of your hip and knee joints.
Normally, all parts of these joints work together and the joint moves easily without pain. But when the joint becomes diseased or injured, the resulting pain can severely limit your ability to move and work. Osteoarthritis, one of the most common forms of degenerative joint disease, affects an estimated 43 million people in the United States.
Whether you are considering a total joint replacement, or are just beginning to explore available treatments, this website is for you. It will help you understand the causes of joint pain and treatment options. Most importantly, it will give you hope that you may be able to return to your favorite activities.
What is a Hip Joint?
Your hip joint is a ball-and-socket joint, formed by the ball, or femoral head, at the upper end of the thighbone, and the rounded socket, or acetabulum, in the pelvis. The bone ends of a joint are covered with a smooth, tough material called cartilage.
Normal cartilage cushions the bones and allows nearly frictionless and pain-free movement. The rest of the surfaces of the joint are covered by a thin, smooth tissue lining called the synovium. The synovium produces fluid that acts as a lubricant to reduce friction and wear in the joint.
Common Cause of Joint Pain
Osteoarthritis (OA)
Sometimes called degenerative arthritis because it is a “wearing out” condition involving the breakdown of cartilage and bones. When cartilage wears away, the bones rub against each other, causing pain and stiffness. OA usually occurs in people aged 50 years and older, and frequently in individuals with a family history of arthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
Causes the synovium to become thickened and inflamed. In turn, too much synovial fluid is produced within the joint space, which causes a chronic inflammation that damages the cartilage.
This results in cartilage loss, pain, and stiffness. RA affects women about 3 times more often than men, and may affect other organs of the body.
Post-traumatic Arthritis
May develop after an injury to the joint in which the bone and cartilage do not heal properly. The joint is no longer smooth and these irregularities lead to more wear on the joint.
Avascular Necrosis
Can result when bone is deprived of its normal blood supply. Without proper nutrition from the blood, the bone’s structure weakens and may collapse and damage the cartilage.
Paget’s Disease
A bone disease that often affects the hip. Bone formation is sped up, causing the density and shape of the bone to change. Joint pain can also be caused by deformity or direct injury to the joint. In some cases, joint pain is made worse by the fact that a person will avoid using a painful joint, weakening the muscles and making the joint even more difficult to move.
Revision Total Hip Surgery
A revision total hip surgery is different in that the original components are removed and new components are implanted. The technical aspects of the surgery are more complex than the original total hip replacement.
However, the preparation for surgery and hospital experience tend to be very similar to the primary total hip replacement.
The choices for implant are also the same, both cemented and cementless components are used depending on the patient’s needs and the quality of bone present at surgery.
Treatment Highlights
VERILAST Hip Replacement Technology
Innovative Implant Design
Smith Nephew VERILAST hip replacement implant.
It’s important to remember that not every hip implant is the same. The Smith Nephew VERILAST Hip Technology is the one technology that directly addresses two of the most commonly cited concerns associated with hip replacement implants:
-
Implant Wear
-
Implant Fracture
