Arthroplasty is a specialized procedure that cures osteoarthritis. Find out how long the procedure takes. You may have increasingly heard about hip arthroplasty, commonly known as hip replacement, as the surgical solution for patients suffering from the most severe forms of osteoarthritis. Despite being one of the most frequent and successful surgeries worldwide, hip replacement surgery requires adherence to precise timings and different phases due to its precision nature.
Let’s explore in this article:
- what is hip arthroplasty? Characteristics of the latest generation
- when is a hip replacement recommended?
- how long does hip replacement surgery take?
- what is the lifespan of the new prosthesis?
What is hip arthroplasty? Characteristics of the latest generation
Arthroplasty is a type of specialized surgery that can be applied to various joints in the human body. It involves the surgical replacement of damaged elements with new components.
This procedure ensures functional capabilities comparable to those of a normal hip, providing an optimal quality of life.
Characteristics of the latest generation hip prosthesis
Over the years hip replacement surgery has seen tremendous improvements, leading to the possibility that many hip prostheses implanted today may last a lifetime.
Some factors have contributed to this progress:
- minimally invasive approaches to hip joint access: there are two minimally invasive approaches to accessing the hip joint: the posterolateral one and the anterior one. These techniques allow surgeons to reach the hip joint while minimizing damage to soft tissues, tendons and muscles. This results in less bleeding, reduced postoperative pain and a lower risk of hip dislocation. With these approaches you can quickly resume your normal life and benefit from a very small scar;
- prosthetic design innovations: smaller and less invasive stems allow for smaller surgical incisions and significant bone preservation;
- improved prosthetic materials: the most evident area of improvement for implant longevity is the use of modern femoral stems with osseointegrated coatings that anchor securely and quickly to the bone. Acetabular cups, made of titanium and designed with a bone-like structure, are rapidly integrated as the bone grows into and around them;
- biocompatibility: the morphological features of the new prostheses and the use of specially selected materials make the implants more compatible with human bones, reducing the risk of allergic reactions or rejection;
- safety: the new hip prostheses are designed to have a greater ability to remain anchored to the bone structures, thus reducing the risks of their loosening over time. The materials are engineered to withstand wear for a long time without deteriorating.
When is hip replacement recommended?
It’s not just a bad hip X-ray that leads to surgery, but the frequent painful and functional disturbances it can cause. That’s why there are several reasons why a doctor might recommend surgery for hip replacement:
- pain resistant to pain-relief therapies, which no longer provide relief;
- limited joint mobility to the extent that lifting the leg is restricted;
- limitation of daily activities;
- significant difficulty rising from a seated position;
- difficulty sleeping both day and night due to continuous pain;
- pain while walking;
- limited or no benefit from conservative treatments.
The surgery allows to alleviate pain and stiffness and to improve the quality of life and autonomy of the patient. Everyone can recover with a hip replacement.
How long does a hip replacement surgery last?
The surgery is planned through preoperative planning, carried out on the computer with specific planning programs and the execution of an X-ray that allows the surgeon to determine the suitable prosthesis based on the patient’s age, bone quality and the shape of the natural joint.
In hip replacement surgery the damaged bone and cartilage are removed and replaced by prosthetic components firmly fixed to the bone. The goal is to have a new stable joint without altering the biomechanical characteristics of the original joint.
Before admission pre-hospitalization is performed to evaluate the general health status and the anesthesia to be used, usually spinal anesthesia.
The new minimally invasive techniques allow for hip prostheses to be implanted through an incision of about 10 cm closed with glue, with bone sparing especially on the femur.
The actual surgery
The technical duration of the surgical procedure typically ranges from 45 to 60 minutes, although in reality about 3 hours pass from when you are brought into the operating room to when you return to your room and it can be summarized as follows:
- anesthesia;
- patient positioning on the operating table on their side;
- disinfection of the limb;
- skin incision;
- removal of worn-out bone and cartilage;
- placement of prosthetic components;
- closure of the skin with glue.
Depending on the bone quality the hip prosthesis can be cemented or uncemented.
Specifically, the femoral head is removed and replaced with the femoral prosthesis, which has a stem that enters the femur.
The damaged cartilage surface of the acetabular cavity is removed and replaced with an acetabular cup.
Then, an insert made of polyethylene or ceramic is inserted between the new femoral head and the acetabular cup to create an appropriate sliding surface.
The procedure ends with the suturing of the incision, dressing it, and maneuvers to test the new joint; afterward an X-ray is performed to confirm the success of the surgery.
What is the lifespan of the new prosthesis?
For the new implants being performed today it is possible to estimate a very long lifespan for the hip prosthesis. Technological innovations used in the manufacturing of prosthetic components, the new materials employed and the recent refinement of surgical techniques for positioning and anchoring hip prostheses have extended the lifespan of the prosthesis to over 25 years.
State-of-the-art hip surgery is capable of placing orthopedic prostheses much more durable than in the past.
Each type of prosthesis today is potentially excellent in terms of reliability and safety and has characteristics that make it ideal for the patient and the geometry of their hip.
That’s why each surgery is personalized for the patient.
Discover Dr. Vanni Strigelli’s approach throughout the entire duration of the hip prosthesis surgery on this page.
