Hip resurfacing is intended for young, active adults who are under 60 years of age and in need of a hip replacement. The typical patient will be physically active and suffering from hip arthritis , hip dysplasia or avascular necrosis of the hip . The implant can be used in patients over 60 whose bone quality is strong enough to support the implant. Your surgeon will make the determination if you are a candidate for hip resurfacing.
Adults over 60 who are living non-sedentary lifestyles may also be considered for this procedure. However, this can only be further determined by a review of your bone quality.
There are certain causes of hip arthritis that result in extreme deformity of either the head of the femur or the acetabulum (hip socket). These cases are usually not candidates for hip resurfacing.
Talk with your orthopaedic surgeon to determine if hip resurfacing is the right option for you.
The Procedure
Until just recently, your orthopedist would likely be recommending total hip replacement surgery at this point of your disease state. While it is clearly a more bone-sacrificing procedure than hip resurfacing, total hip replacement is a safe and effective surgery, and is performed more than 300,000 times per year in the United States.
As you may know, total hip replacement requires the removal of the femoral head and the insertion of a hip stem down the shaft of the femur. Hip resurfacing, on the other hand, preserves the femoral head and the femoral neck. During the procedure, your surgeon will only remove a few centimeters of bone around the femoral head, shaping it to fit tightly inside the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing implant.
Your surgeon will also prepare the acetabulum for the metal cup that will form the socket portion of the ball-and-socket joint. While the resurfacing component slides over the top of the femoral head like a tooth cap, the acetabular component is pressed into place much like a total hip replacement component would be.
Since the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing implant is new in the United States , is it clinically proven? While the BIRMINGHAM HIP Resurfacing implant is new to the United States, it is not a new implant or technique. It has been in use worldwide since 1997, and the US Food and Drug Administration reviewed a tremendous amount of resulting clinical data before approving it for use in this country.
