Hip Replacement
Round Rock Orthopaedics & Rehab is a leader in total joint replacement surgery. We service patients in Williamson and surrounding Counties, Central Texas, and the Greater Austin area. Our physicians have advanced training and utilize the latest advancements in technology to diagnosis and perform the correct treatment plan to maximize your recovery.
The Hip Joint:
The hip joint is formed by the ball-shaped top of the thigh bone (femur) and the
cup-shaped socket of the pelvis (acetabulum). This ball-and-socket arrangement helps ensure freedom of movement in several directions. Within the cavity of the joint is a substance called synovial fluid which promotes smooth movement and helps prevent friction between the two main bones. The surfaces of these bones are covered by a special protective material called articular cartilage. Surrounding the hip is a thick fibrous joint capsule whose job is twofold: to hold the synovial fluid within the joint cavity and to keep the joint stable. Smooth, pain-free motion in the hip joint depends on healthy cartilage and joint fluid, as well as strong and flexible surrounding ligaments and muscles.
Think about all the activities in a typical day that involve your hip: standing, walking, running, sitting, bending, playing sports. Having a normally functioning hip joint is critical to keeping your body balanced, upright, and stable.
Injury, Trauma, or Aging to The Hip Joint:
Sometimes trauma (from a sport injury, fall, or car accident, for example) weakens the hip’s ligaments and cartilage and upsets the synovial fluid balance. Sometimes hip joints can weaken just from the normal wear and tear of aging. Whatever the cause, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis may develop.
Joint diseases such as these can result in stiffness, swelling, tenderness, and discomfort in the hip, often causing you to slowly restrict your movements. Even the simplest daily activities can become painful—slowly diminishing your mobility and, ultimately, your quality of life.
Total Hip Replacement:
The goal of hip replacement surgery is to relieve the pain caused by damage to the cartilage of the joint surfaces. The pain can be so intense that a person will avoid using the joint, weakening the muscles around the joint, and making it even more difficult to move. To determine whether you may need surgery, consult the physicians at Round Rock Orthopaedics & Rehab. An orthopaedic surgeon, or certified physician assistant, who specializes in treating hip disorders will perform a comprehensive exam to include: a complete medical history, x-rays, assess your range of movement and level of daily function, and other tests to show the extent of damage to the joint. Total hip joint replacement will be considered if other treatment options will not relieve your pain and disability.
It is possible that a total hip replacement, with artificial materials made from metal and polyethylene, will be recommended to replace your naturally worn out body tissues. This is what is called a total hip joint prosthesis. If, together, we decide that surgery is required, the aim of this surgery will be to correct the deteriorating condition of your present hip and to help you regain movement and eliminate most of the pain you have been experiencing.
New Surgical Advancements:
Minimally Invasive Joint Replacement Surgery
Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a general term used to describe any surgical procedure that utilizes a smaller incision than conventional surgery. In some MIS procedures, the amount of soft tissue (muscles and tendons, etc) that is disrupted during surgery may also be reduced. MIS for joint represents a new way to perform joint replacement that involves surgical techniques performed through a smaller soft tissue “window”
Computer-Assisted Hip Replacement
This process of combining digital images for the patient’s pelvis and femur with an implant-specific software package, new computer hardware can track the precise position of the patient’s bones, the implant and the surgeon’s instruments at all times during hip surgery. It is as if the patient’s body has a GPS tracking system the computer uses to follow it during the procedure. The Computer puts together all of the information coming from the patient and the instruments. It also tells the surgeon where the precise cuts should be made. Given that every patient’s skeletal hip geometry is different, this level of patient-specific, computer-guided accuracy is unprecedented in the history of hip replacement surgery.
After surgery, some leg movement may be initially limited, but this will improve over time as you become more comfortable with your new hip. Specially designed stockings and inflatable leg wraps may be used to maintain circulation in your legs. The walking aid (a cane, walker, or crutches) will allow gradual weight increase on your new hip and assist in healing and controlling the pain. During the process you will learn more about using a safe walking pattern and equipment in your home with self-help devices such as a raised toilet seat, a bath bench, and reaching tools. Your activity will be restricted at first. Observe these restrictions to give your hip and surrounding tissues proper time to heal.
A personal exercise program designed by one of our staff physical therapists will help to restore muscle balance and allow you to walk more comfortably. Continuing exercises at home (with a home health agency) and in an outpatient physical therapy program for several months following surgery will help you regain strength and independence. An active lifestyle that includes water exercises, walking, and biking is essential in maintaining movement of your joints and keeping you and your new hip healthy. Gauge your daily activities with your new hip in mind. Avoid strenuous movements such as twisting, jumping, and running, which may damage your prosthesis.
After surgery, the hip pain you had should be gone, but you may have some discomfort when you stretch, and you may experience some pain at the site of your surgery. These should decrease with time and should you have any specific questions or concerns, it is always advisable to consult your surgeon.
