Who needs a hip replacement?
In India, many young patients with ankylosing spondylitis, avascular necrosis, post septic arthritis, post traumatic arthritis, are advised a hip replacement for disabling pain. Thus many hip replacement operations are performed in younger patients. The surgery should cater to the enhanced demands on an artificial joint by younger and more active patients. Naturally an operation designed for Western elderly patients is not suitable for younger patients. The other category of people who need a hip replacement are elderly with a hip fracture. In this group a partial or total hip replacement may be required. In this group, conventional total hip replacement is the best solution. What is a total hip replacement? In this operation the ball shaped upper end of the thigh bone (femur) and the socket (acetabulum) are replaced. The ball is replaced with a long metal stem that is fixed into the upper end if the thigh bone. Its upper spherical end articulates with a cup shaped polyethylene socket
