Hip Resurfacing: An option for younger, more active patientsFor adults who are plagued with hip pain caused by arthritis and degenerative hip disease, traditional hip replacement surgery has been the only option for long-term relief. In more active adults, however, traditional hip replacement creates the potential for multiple revision surgeries to later repair worn-down implants. For these patients, hip resurfacing offers a longer-lasting and bone-conserving option that can return them to their active lifestyles.
In an effort to enhance the lives of active adults, The George Washington University Hospital is offering hip surfacing which uses technology approved by the FDA in 2006, after it had been used in Europe for years.
Unlike traditional hip replacement, which removes the top of the femur and requires the insertion of a metal stem into the bone shaft, hip resurfacing involves fitting a cap over the reshaped femur head, leaving most of the femur intact. Hip resurfacing smoothes rough, damaged surfaces of the hip joint bones and replaces them with more durable high carbide cobalt chrome implants that lock onto existing bone. The metal-on-metal system creates less friction than the traditional hip replacement system and was shown to have 98% less wear than traditional systems in lab tests. This system also has been shown to enhance bone strength around the hip.
If you are an active adult under the age of 55 or have good bone quality, hip resurfacing might be a better option to end hip pain caused by arthritis and degenerative hip disease and to return you to an active lifestyle.
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