Resurfacing Hip Replacement General Information

Resurfacing hip replacement surgery has been appearing in the news quite frequently. The surgeons of South Mountain Orthopaedic Associates have performed the procedure for over ten years using the latest titanium nitride ceramic technology. Resurfacing hip replacement provides low wear and friction and is an option to total hip replacement for many moderately-active and younger individuals.

The surgery involves the placement of the femoral cap over the upper end of the femoral head and sometimes involves lining the hip socket with a metal-plastic liner. This allows a low-friction metal-on-plastic articulation with minimal bone loss.

Some conditions of the hip that require hip resurfacing include:

	AVASCULAR NECROSIS (AVN), better known as osteonecrosis “death of the bone” is a condition in which the hip has lost the critical blood supply to the femoral head. This can cause the bone to collapse at the weakened site and arthritis may set in. There are several factors, which have been associated with this disease, which includes alcohol abuse or chronic use of corticosteriods.
	OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) is commonly referred to as degenerative arthritis. It is the gradual wearing down of the surfaces of the hip joint. The bone becomes exposed within the joint and activity is painful. This disease causes frequent and persistent pain and decreased activity level of the individual. When the condition becomes severe, surgery is an alternative to the pain.
	RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (RA) This type of arthritis usually affects more than one joint. The person's immune system is affected and cartilage is destroyed by the person's own body.
	POST-TRAUMATIC ARTHRITIS (PTA) is a trauma-related arthritis. This type of arthritis results when the joint is injured by a fracture, dislocation and/or damage to the joint or cartilage surface.

The improvements in wear resistance, the concept for minimizing bone loss and the potential to avoid having a patient undergo a trochanteric osteotomy were some of the reasons to further develop interchangeable bearings. These bearings are able to allow retention of a well-fixed acetabular cup while allowing the surgeon to revise only the femoral component, or the bearing, of the resurfaced hip in the event that revision is necessary.

GENERAL INFORMATION