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New hip resurfacing offering



Professor Rickman is pleased to announce he now offers Hip resurfacing as part of his hip surgery repertoire.

Hip resurfacing involves putting a cap on the femoral head, and a lining in the hip socket, to cover the joint surfaces. It works in the same way as a total hip replacement, but removes much less bone, particularly on the femoral side as the bone is reshaped and covered up rather than cut and replaced. Not only does the resurfaced hip behave more like a normal hip, but the revision surgery in the future is typically much simpler than revision of a conventional hip replacement.

Hip Resurfacing was popular in the late 1990’s and 2000’s, and evidence suggests that the younger or more athletic patient will return to a higher level of function than they might after a conventional hip replacement. Andy Murray had a hip resurfacing procedure to allow him to return to professional tennis.

The early designs used a metal head in a metal socket – the theory being that this would last longer and stand up to heavy usage better. Unfortunately, some patients developed significant allergic reactions to the metal particles generated at the joint surface – especially patients with smaller hips. As a result, over time the procedure was no longer offered to female patients (with typically smaller hips) and became much less common in male patients.

Technology has progressed, and hip resurfacing is now possible using either ceramic bearings, or metal on polyethylene (the same as most standard hip replacements). As there is no metal on metal bearing surface, the concerns regarding smaller hips are no longer an issue, meaning that the procedure can once again be offered to female patients.

Any younger or more active patient with osteoarthritis of the hip, who has symptoms that warrant a joint replacement may now also be considered suitable for a modern hip resurfacing procedure. The benefits include a more normal feeling and functioning hip, with a very low dislocation risk, and a simpler revision surgery in the future.

 

Having trained with the surgeons who designed the prothesis , Prof Mark Rickman is the only surgeon in South Australia offering the new metal on polyethylene hip resurfacing procedure, the Polymotion Hip Resurfacing, with several already having been carried out at Calvary Adelaide Hospital this year.

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