Twenty-eight million Americans over the age of 25, Tom, have degenerative joint disease. It`s arthritis. This is a growing area. The stock seems to be overvalued but it`s not when you look at these 100 percent-plus growth trends. And the bigger guys, like the Zimmers out there, $12 billion market cap, could easily swallow MAKO, at a $1.2 billion market cap.
Whether you have just begun exploring treatment options or have already decided with your orthopedic surgeon to undergo hip replacement surgery, this information will help you understand the benefits and limitations of total hip replacement. This article describes how a normal hip works, the causes of hip pain, what to expect from hip replacement surgery, and what exercises and activities will help restore your mobility and strength and enable you to return to everyday activities.
If your hip has been damaged by arthritis, a fracture or other conditions, common activities such as walking or getting in and out of a chair may be painful and difficult. Your hip may be stiff and it may be hard to put on your shoes and socks. You may even feel uncomfortable while resting.
If medications, changes in your everyday activities, and the use of walking aids such as a cane are not helpful, you may want to consider hip replacement surgery. By replacing your diseased hip joint with an artificial joint, hip replacement surgery can relieve your pain, increase motion, and help you get back to enjoying normal, everyday activities.
First performed in 1960, hip replacement surgery is one of the most important surgical advances of the last century. Since 1960, improvements in joint replacement surgical techniques and technology have greatly increased the effectiveness of total hip replacement. Today, more than 193,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States. Similar surgical procedures are performed on other joints, including the knee, shoulder, and elbow.
You may benefit from hip replacement surgery if:
* Hip pain limits your everyday activities such as walking or bending.
* Hip pain continues while resting, either day or night.
* Stiffness in a hip limits your ability to move or lift your leg.
* You have little pain relief from anti-inflammatory drugs or glucosamine sulfate.
* You have harmful or unpleasant side effects from your hip medications.
* Other treatments such as physical therapy or the use of a gait aid such as a cane do not relieve hip pain.
The following is a list of home modifications that will make your return home easier during your recovery:
* Securely fastened safety bars or handrails in your shower or bath
* Secure handrails along all stairways
* A stable chair for your early recovery with a firm seat cushion (that allows your knees to remain lower than your hips), a firm back, and two arms
* A raised toilet seat
* A stable shower bench or chair for bathing
* A long-handled sponge and shower hose
* A dressing stick, a sock aid, and a long-handled shoe horn for putting on and taking off shoes and socks without excessively bending your new hip
* A reacher that will allow you to grab objects without excessive bending of your hips
* Firm pillows for your chairs, sofas, and car that enable you to sit with your knees lower than your hips
* Removal of all loose carpets and electrical cords from the areas where you walk in your home
Your Surgery
You will most likely be admitted to the hospital on the day of your surgery. Prior to admission, a member of the anesthesia team will evaluate you. The most common types of anesthesia for hip replacement surgery are general anesthesia (which puts you to sleep throughout the procedure and uses a machine to help you breath) or spinal anesthesia (which allows you to breath on your own but anesthetizes your body from the waist down). The anesthesia team will discuss these choices with you and help you decide which type of anesthesia is best for you.
Many different types of designs and materials are currently used in artificial hip joints. All of them consist of two basic components: the ball component (made of a highly polished strong metal or ceramic material) and the socket component (a durable cup made of plastic, ceramic or metal, which may have an outer metal shell).
Recovery
The success of your surgery will depend in large measure on how well you follow your orthopaedic surgeon’s instructions regarding home care during the first few weeks after surgery.
Wound Care
You will have stitches or staples running along your wound or a suture beneath your skin. The stitches or staples will be removed approximately 2 weeks after surgery.
Avoid getting the wound wet until it has thoroughly sealed and dried. A bandage may be placed over the wound to prevent irritation from clothing or support stockings.
Diet
Some loss of appetite is common for several weeks after surgery. A balanced diet, often with an iron supplement, is important to promote proper tissue healing and restore muscle strength. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids.
Your activity program should include:
* A graduated walking program, initially in your home and later outside
* A walking program to slowly increase your mobility and endurance
* Resuming other normal household activities
* Resuming sitting, standing, and walking up and down stairs
* Specific exercises several times a day to restore movement
* Specific exercises several times a day to strengthen your hip joint
* You may wish to have a physical therapist help you at home
Your new hip may activate metal detectors required for security in airports and some buildings. Tell the security agent about your hip replacement if the alarm is activated. You may ask your orthopedic surgeon for a card confirming that you have an artificial hip.
After surgery, make sure you also do the following:
* Participate in a regular light exercise program to maintain proper strength and mobility of your new hip.
* Take special precautions to avoid falls and injuries. Individuals who have undergone hip replacement surgery and experience a fracture may require more surgery.
* Notify your dentist that you have had a hip replacement. You will need to take antibiotics before any dental procedure. Information for your surgeon regarding the use of antibiotics is available from the AAOS.
* See your orthopedic surgeon periodically for routine follow-up examinations and x-rays (radiographs), even if your hip replacement seems to be doing fine.
The biggest thing I suggest is find support with other people who have gone through the process of becoming HIPPER!
A recent trend in hip replacement surgery has been to perform the surgical procedure through smaller, less-invasive approaches. The idea of this trend is to perform the same procedure with less disruption to the surrounding muscles and soft-tissues. By performing surgery through smaller incisions, with less soft-tissue dissection, it is hoped that patients will have less pain and a faster recovery.
via Anterior Approach Hip Replacement Surgery | Minimally Invasive Anterior Hip Replacement.
“I tell patients, 20% of the outcome is the technical stuff I do in the surgery, and 80% is them,” said Hillock, the Las Vegas surgeon. “I can do a perfect surgery, but if they don’t do the rehab they’re not going to have a good outcome.”
Baby boomers fueling boom in knee, hip surgeries – USATODAY.com.
We’re becoming a nation of bum knees, worn-out hips and sore shoulders, and it’s not just the Medicare set. Baby boomer bones and joints also are taking a pounding, spawning a boom in operations to fix them.
Knee replacement surgeries have doubled over the last decade and more than tripled in the 45-to-64 age group, new research shows. Hips are trending that way, too.
And here’s a surprise: It’s not all due to obesity. Ironically, trying to stay fit and avoid extra pounds is taking a toll on a generation that expects bad joints can be swapped out like old tires on a car.
“Boomeritis” or “fix-me-itis” is what Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a suburban Philadelphia surgeon, calls it.
“It’s this mindset of `fix me at any cost, turn back the clock,'” said DiNubile, an adviser to several pro athletic groups and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “The boomers are the first generation trying to stay active in droves on an aging frame” …
“About 90% of standard bearing materials last 20 years or longer and 80% last 30 years or longer,” says Dr. Mayman. “Ceramic and metal-on-metal implant wear rates are lower so they could last even longer. In fact, there is no reason to think they will fail ever,” he says. “If we have an honest open conversation with younger patients and they know they may need a revision in the future, it is reasonable to do joint replacement.”
A novel surgery using transplanted bone and cartilage may help young patients avoid a hip replacement after a specific traumatic injury to the hip joint, according to a case study by orthopedic trauma specialists at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. The study appears in the February issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma.
“This novel technique can help young patients to delay, or even possibly avoid altogether, the need for a total hip replacement,” said David L. Helfet, M.D., director of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at Hospital for Special Surgery. Hip replacements typically last 20 to 25 years, so a younger person who undergoes a hip replacement is likely to need multiple hip replacement surgeries/revisions in the span of his or her lifetime. Only one similar case report was found in the literature at the time of preparation of the present manuscript. This case was also a success, and doctors say the studies provide encouragement to clinicians that this type of surgery can be of benefit to other patients with similar injuries.
via New technique could eliminate hip replacement surgeries in young trauma patients.
The young adult hip service at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University is a unique, comprehensive hip program for patients age 18 to 55. Washington University orthopedic specialists offer expert diagnosis and innovative treatments that get younger patients back to a healthy, active lifestyle.
The goals of the young adult hip service are to:
Accurately diagnose hip disorders
Present all available treatment options, including nonsurgical and surgical hip procedures
Provide the highest level of care to patients with hip conditions
Improve patients’ overall health and activity levels by repairing hip problems and reducing pain
via Young Adult Hip Service | Hip Program For Patients Age 18-55 – Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
Two large, new studies being presented this week at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), in New Orleans, are offering new information on the best hip replacement options for younger patients with worn-out hips.
Total hip replacements have been performed on older patients for long enough now that doctors say the results are usually predictable, but less is known about the best ways to replace hip joints in patients who are younger, a group that is increasingly driving demand for these procedures.
In fact, one 2009 study projected that people younger than age 65 could account for more than half of all hip replacement patients as early as next year.
via Hip Replacements Younger Patients | Joint Replacement | Arthritis Today Magazine.
Hipster Club 