Hip arthroscopy is the procedure by which orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine professionals inspect a joint for the cause of hip pain, and perform minimally invasive surgical repairs. Hip arthroscopy can sometimes delay, or actually prevent, the need for hip replacement surgery!
How common is hip arthroscopy?
Athletes who run regularly in Asheboro NC, face a high risk of needing hip arthroscopy to find out if they need hip replacement, sometime during their lives. Those activities that are good for flexibility and toning of leg muscles are not necessarily good for your hip joint. Hip pain is common among runners, because the hip is what absorbs the most force when running. Even when just walking, we are putting the equivalent of three times our body weight on the hip joint. This means that a 150-pound person is forcing 450 pounds of pressure across his hip joint every step he takes! That expands to five to six times the body weight when he runs. So, that 150-pound person is now placing upwards of 900 pounds of pressure on his joint with every stride he takes. Add that to the fact that hip joint cartilage is only three to four millimeters thick to begin with, and you can easily see why so many runners end up needing hip surgery.
Causes of Hip Pain
Orthopedic doctors link the destruction of cartilage with hip pain. The cartilage between our bones provides the perfect lubricant for joint movement. When this cartilage is damaged, by genetic defect, trauma, infection or tumor, the result is pain, joint stiffness and decreased range of motion.
Arthritis of the hip causes a gradual loss of this cartilage; and it triggers a vicious cycle. The arthritis changes the chemical make-up in the joint fluid, which leads to irritation of the lining and fraying of the joint. This reaction, in turn, causes more inflammation and more fraying.
What is hip arthroscopy?
Hip arthroscopy is an innovative procedure that may help postpone, or even eliminate, the need for eventual hip replacement surgery. Hip arthroscopy is generally done on an outpatient basis, performed under either a regional or general anesthesia. In hip arthroscopy, small holes in the hip area allow your orthopedic surgeon to insert a miniature camera and specialized surgical instruments. With the help of the arthroscope, he is able to repair torn tissue, clean out the frayed lining and inflammation, giving the joint a new try at normal function. If there is sufficient cartilage remaining, further deterioration of the joint may have been averted. The procedure takes about one-half hour to perform.
Previously, there were few treatment options for hip pain other than total hip replacement. While hip replacement surgery has improved countless lives, there exists a built-in obsolescence with every implant. Even under the best possible circumstances, the implant wears out and will need to be replaced.
In the interim, hip arthroscopy, which actually helps break the vicious cycle caused by the arthritis, may postpone some of the damage. At the very least, hip arthroscopy can buy patients some time, perhaps up to ten years, during which time hip joint prostheses will certainly undergo improvements.
Should I postpone hip replacement surgery?
If osteoarthritis in your hip has you feeling like hip replacement surgery is looming, you may want to check out hip arthroscopy first. New medical advances in joint replacement materials and techniques are revealed all the time, and a delay in hip replacement surgery might be just long enough for a new state of the art hip prosthesis to be developed.
Where can I find experts to perform a hip arthroscopy?
Hip arthroscopy is just down the street for residents of Asheboro NC.The orthopedic surgeons are experts at hip surgery. Contact or visit them to see whether you might be a candidate for hip arthroscopy.
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