Hip replacement facts for kids

Hip replacement is a special surgery where a damaged hip joint is replaced with an artificial one. This artificial joint is called a prosthetic implant. Doctors usually do this surgery to help people who have a lot of pain from arthritis or who have a very badly damaged hip joint. It helps them move more easily and without pain.

What is a Hip Joint?

Your hip joint is one of the largest joints in your body. It's a "ball-and-socket" joint. The "ball" is the top part of your femur (thigh bone), and the "socket" is a part of your pelvis called the acetabulum. These parts are covered with smooth cartilage that helps them glide easily when you walk, run, or bend.

Why Do People Need Hip Replacement?

People usually need a hip replacement when their hip joint is very damaged. The most common reason is severe arthritis. Arthritis causes the cartilage to wear away, making the bones rub against each other. This can cause:

• Lots of pain
• Stiffness
• Trouble walking or doing everyday activities

Other reasons for hip replacement include:

• Serious hip fractures (broken bones)
• Conditions where the bone tissue dies, like osteonecrosis
• Other diseases that damage the joint

The Artificial Hip (Prosthesis)

The artificial hip joint, or prosthesis, is made of different parts that work together. It's designed to move just like your natural hip.

• Socket (Acetabular Cup): This part replaces the damaged socket in your pelvis. It's often made of metal, with a liner of plastic (polyethylene) or ceramic inside.
• Ball (Femoral Head): This part replaces the ball at the top of your thigh bone. It can be made of metal or ceramic.
• Stem (Femoral Stem): This long piece fits inside your thigh bone. It connects to the ball. The stem is usually made of a strong metal like titanium or cobalt-chromium.

These parts are very strong and are designed to last for many years.

The Surgery Itself

Hip replacement surgery is a major operation. Doctors use special tools to remove the damaged parts of the hip joint. Then, they carefully put the new artificial parts in place. The new parts can be held in place using special bone cement, or they can be designed to allow your own bone to grow onto them. The surgery usually takes a few hours.

After the Surgery

After a hip replacement, patients usually stay in the hospital for a few days.

• Pain Management: Doctors give medicine to help with any pain.
• Physical Therapy: This is a very important part of recovery. A physical therapist will teach you exercises to help you regain strength and movement in your new hip. You'll learn how to walk safely and do daily activities.
• Recovery Time: Full recovery can take several weeks to a few months. It's important to follow the doctor's and physical therapist's instructions carefully to get the best results. Most people find that their pain is greatly reduced, and they can do many activities they enjoyed before.

Images for kids

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  Dislocated artificial hip

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  Liner wear, particularly when over 2 mm, increases the risk of dislocation. Liner creep, on the other hand, is normal remoulding.

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  Intraoperative acetabular fracture.

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  Hip prosthesis displaying aseptic loosening (arrows)

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  Hip prosthesis zones according to DeLee and Charnley, and Gruen. These are used to describe the location of for example areas of loosening.

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  Hip prosthesis 3d Model

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  Different Parts of Hip Prosthesis

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  A titanium hip prosthesis, with a ceramic head and polyethylene acetabular cup

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  Metal on metal prosthetic hip

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  Cement-free implant sixteen days after surgery. Femoral component is cobalt chromium combined with titanium which induces bone growth into the implant. Ceramic head. Acetabular cup coated with bone growth-inducing material and held temporarily in place with a single screw.

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  Femoral (neck) offset is defined as the perpendicular distance between the intramedullary or longitudinal axis of the femur and the center of rotation of the native or prosthetic femoral head. An offset of less than 33 mm is associated with hip dislocation.

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  Gosset-style hip prosthesis from 1960

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  Hip prostheses on display in the London Science Museum

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  Hip prosthesis for hemiarthroplasty. This example is bipolar, meaning that the head has two separate articulations.

See also

In Spanish: Reemplazo total de cadera para niños