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What Are The Different Types Of Hip Replacement Technologies?

What Are The Different Types Of Hip Replacement Technologies?
Scheduled for hip replacement surgery?  Wondering about what’s being placed in your body?  Dr. Dan Albright, an orthopedic surgeon in Raleigh, NC explains those different parts and how they are used.  Using models, he shows how the parts are custom fit for your anatomy.
 

Summary of video:

What are the different types of hip replacement technologies?

When preparing for hip replacement surgery a lot of patients ask:: "What's going to go in my body?"   A plastics hip? A ceramic hip?  Metal hip?  It's a good question. 

The first part focused on is the stem.  The stem looks like a spike that is inserted in the middle of your femur (leg) bone, which is a cylinder. This stem can be cemented (although it's less commonly done there) or uncemented.

Then there's a hip socket.  It can be a metal socket with a plastic, ceramic or metal liner.
 
There are different types of stem shapes. Some stems have a sandpaper type of material, a porous coating on them (these are used mostly in revision surgeries).  The bone grows into the porous surface.  Over six weeks the bone literally biologically interlocks with the metal.  Very solid. 

There are cylindrical, tapered, fluted stems.  Some are modular and they come apart.

The important point for patients is whatever device that is used needs to be road tested.  A lot of people want the latest and greatest but this medical technology goes two steps forward and one step back. There have been a lot of recalls with medical technology.  What you want to avoid is getting a hip replacement and then suddenly having to have it removed because it has been recalled and it's failing.

Patients want a device in there is what's been out for years. Use implants that have been out 10-20 years and have been proven.  If it's been out six months or less - wait.

But anyway there's a lot of exciting materials used - cemented stem, uncemented stem, porous ingrowth.  Different shapes are used depending on the patient’s anatomy and problems. They can custom fit the device based on how the bones and the joint look.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. Dan Albright call (919) 863-6808.

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