What is hip joint degeneration?
Contrary to appearances, degeneration of the hip joint is
not a disease that affects only the elderly, because the first symptoms of this
disease may be felt even in people over 45, and sometimes even earlier. If
the disease is not properly treated, the accompanying symptoms worsen over time
and cause pain in patients, mainly in the groin, hip and buttock, gait disturbances
in the form of limping and rocking to one side while walking, such as also the
stiffness and limitations of movement that are most troublesome in the
morning.
Additionally, patients report to best orthopaedic in Delhi
with symptoms such as jumping and crackling in the hip, and complaints of
weakening of the thigh and buttock muscles on the degenerative side. All
these ailments result from the weakening of the regenerative capacity of the
articular cartilage, which due to the influence of various factors becomes
thinner and loses its elasticity and, above all, ceases to act as a shock
absorber. As a result, the surface of the head and acetabulum rub against
the surface of the hip joint and secondary inflammation is formed in and around
the joint, leading to reduced mobility.
The causes of hip osteoarthritis
Degeneration of the hip joints can be both primary, where
the disease is mainly caused by natural wear and tear. The secondary
causes responsible for the accretion of degenerative changes include: congenital
defects of the hip joint (dysplasias), inflammation of the hip joint caused by
e.g. rheumatoid arthritis or gout, acute injuries of the hip joint such as
fractures and dislocations leading to the disturbance of the anatomical
conditions of the hip. In addition, overloads that occur as a result of
the nature of the work performed or the overweight or obesity of the patient
are also important.
Hip osteoarthritis diagnosis
In most cases, a detailed medical history combined with an
examination and an X-ray image are sufficient to make a diagnosis, on the basis
of which the symptoms of degeneration are assessed, such as e.g. bone
tissue thickening, bone spurs (osteophytes) on the edges of the acetabulum or
narrowing of the joint space due to the loss of cartilage thickness. In
some cases, the orthopaedic
doctor in Delhi also orders an MRI of the hip, which allows him to
assess in detail any damage to the labrum and cartilage of the hip joint.
When is a hip endoprosthesis necessary?
The indication for hip arthroplasty is critical and
irreversible damage to the joint, which causes permanent and resting pain, the
importance of limiting the range of motion. These ailments do not respond
to treatment with other therapeutic methods. In these cases, arthroplasty
is the only effective solution. Additional indications for the procedure
are rheumatoid diseases, consequences of fractures in the area of the hip
joint, fractures of the femoral neck, early forms of sterile bone necrosis as
well as neoplastic diseases.
What is a hip endoprosthesis?
An endoprosthesis is an artificial joint that replaces our
natural one in the form of an implant. Thus, the endoprosthetics procedure
consists in removing degraded and worn out elements of the hip joint and
replacing them with artificial parts. Endoprostheses are made of metals
inert to the patient's body, such as titanium, which minimize the risk of
implant rejection. The endoprosthesis consists of a shaft that is inserted
into the medullary canal of the femur and the spherical head is mounted on it,
which allows for movements. Additionally, the endoprosthesis includes an
acetabular component in the form of a hollow hemisphere, which is implanted in
the place of the diseased natural, bony acetabulum and it is between the
acetabulum and the head that moves.
What types of hip endoprostheses are there?
Hip joint endoprostheses can be divided due to the way they
are bound to the bone base, and they are:
- cement
prostheses where it is attached to the bone with the so-called bone
cement. In most cases, this type of prosthesis is used in procedures
in the elderly as well as in patients suffering from osteoporosis or
rheumatoid arthritis.
- Cementless
endoprostheses, which are implanted directly into the bone and are used in
the case of young patients who have not had bone degeneration
- Hybrid
endoprostheses, which are a combination of both previous types, because
one element of the prosthesis, which is most often the cup, is embedded
with the cementless method and the other element of the implant with the
cement method
What does hip arthroplasty look like?
The duration of the hip replacement
surgery in Delhi depends on the degree of deformation of the hip joint
and lasts from 1 to 2 hours. The procedure is performed under spinal or
epidural anesthesia, during which the feeling in the legs is turned
off. After the surgical approach is performed, the orthopaedic surgeon in Delhi
reveals the affected area and proceeds to resection of the head and neck of the
femur, which creates space for an artificial joint element. In the next
stage of the operation, the bone bed is prepared for the hip joint
endoprosthesis and the endoprosthesis is fixed. At the beginning of
implantation, an artificial acetabulum is implanted into the iliac bone, and
then the endoprosthesis stem is inserted into the femoral canal. The stage
that ends the procedure is the reconstruction of soft tissues, placing a
layered suture on the surgical wound,
Does hip replacement surgery pose a high risk to the
patient?
Correctly performed hip joint prosthesis implantation is a
routine operation with documented good results. As with any surgical
procedure, postoperative complications may occur, the most common being
mechanical loosening of implants, infections in the skin and tissues near the
prosthesis, the occurrence of venous thrombosis, change in limb length or joint
ankylosis.
Do implanted endoprostheses need to be replaced?
Due to the fact that modern prostheses are made of
good-quality, long-lasting materials, a properly implanted endoprosthesis can
serve the patient for decades. However, it should be emphasized that a hip
joint prosthesis is an artificial element in our body that can simply wear out
in the form of loosening, displacement, falling out of the joint or
cracking. Although such situations rarely occur, it is good news for
patients because virtually every malfunctioning endoprosthesis can be replaced
during the so-called revision replacement of the hip joint endoprosthesis.
What is the patient's life like after the hip replacement
surgery?
Hospitalization after hip replacement
in Delhi is approximately 5 - 6 days. For each patient, an
antibiotic shield is used for 3-4 days after the procedure, as well as
thromboprophylaxis, which is applied until the 30th postoperative day. The
next day after the surgery, the patient is upright and learns to walk on
crutches and skillfully weight the operated side of the body. As a
standard, on the next day after the procedure, it is possible to start walking
with gradual loading of the operated limb. It takes about 3 months to
recover. During this time, rehabilitation is recommended, followed by a
gradual introduction of physical activity such as walking, cycling or swimming.
Hip prosthesis implantation procedures are actually a rescue
operation that will damage but a very important part of our skeletal system,
which allows patients to regain the correct quality of life, eliminate pain as
well as return to everyday life and work activities.
