Hip Replacement

Hip replacements aren’t just for older people with osteoarthritis: You might need one if you suffer a severe hip injury. The Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons of Northern California team in Carmichael, California, offers high-quality hip replacement surgery to patients with acute injuries. They perform full and partial hip replacements using the most advanced synthetic materials for improved comfort and performance. 

What is a hip replacement?

Hip replacement surgery involves removing damaged parts of your hip joint and replacing them with prosthetic (artificial) parts.

Most hip replacement patients are older people prone to falling and fracturing the joint. The Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons of Northern California team specializes in trauma-related hip replacement.

Which traumatic injuries require hip replacement?

Severe fractures (broken bones) are traumatic injuries that can require an urgent hip replacement. The most likely ways to fracture your hip are in a fall, a car accident, or while playing sports.

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. At the top of your thigh bone (femur), there’s a ball of bone called the femoral head. A socket (acetabulum) in your pelvis holds the ball and allows it to rotate. A hip fracture happens when the top of the femur breaks.

The most common hip fractures are:

Femoral neck fracture

The femoral neck is the bone just below the femoral head.

Intertrochanteric fracture

The intertrochanteric part of your femur is between the long, straight section of your thigh bone and the femoral neck.

Hip fractures usually cause severe pain and require immediate surgery. In some patients, the Orthopedic Trauma Surgeons of Northern California team can repair the fractured bone. If this isn’t possible because the damage is too severe, they’ll perform joint replacement surgery.

What does hip replacement surgery involve?

Hip replacement surgery usually takes 1-2 hours. Depending on which parts are damaged, you’ll need either a total or partial hip replacement. During a total hip replacement, your surgeon removes the femoral head and acetabulum. They insert a metal ball on a stem into your femur and implant a plastic socket into your pelvis.

Your surgeon only replaces the femoral head during a partial hip replacement (hip hemiarthroplasty). This surgery might be suitable if the acetabulum is healthy and undamaged. Artificial femoral heads are made of highly polished ceramic or strong metal.

The replacement acetabulum is a robust plastic, metal, or ceramic cup with an outer metal shell. Your surgeon press-fits the prosthesis into the bone so that new bone grows over it or fixes it in place with bone cement. Depending on your bone’s health and strength, they might combine a cemented stem with a press-fitted socket.