Protective hip surgery means taking necessary measures in time to prevent complete calcification of the hip and preventing prosthesis surgery
Protective hip surgery can be used for all age groups from children to adults. On the other hand, while not being certain, there’s an age limit of 45. Scientific publications on the subject reveal that chance of success drops in protective hip surgery performed after 45. However, it shall be remembered that a person aged 50 can have bone quality of a 40 year old and a person aged 40 can have bone quality of a 50 year old. Therefore age limit of 45 is relative. Regardless, chance of success increases for people aged below 45. It is not recommended over 60.
Conditions Protective Hip surgery is used
Hip joint is a ball and socket (enarthrodial) joint. Head of the bone is a ball and the socket is a cavity suitable for the ball and works with zero error. In some cases, socket being too deep or being fully round or head having a bump or a bulge may cause friction in the hips in ears and cause these parts to wear down each other. Furthermore, if the bone is not fully round, i.e. there’s a structural problem from childhood, it may not reveal findings due to thick cartilage but years later, pains stemming from the friction of the hip may arise in adulthood and walking problems may occur. In such cases, protective hip surgery is used as early treatment of problems arising from disparity of the socket.
Complaints of the Patients
Patients generally suffer from hip pains. Pain is described by the patient as a thigh pain spreading towards the knee. Since the pain is in the thigh, females generally initially tend to consult, gynaecologists or urologists. In some cases patients may have lower back pains. Since it can be confused with lower back pains, gynaecological diseases or urinary tract infections, a definitive diagnosis is required initially. Radiological examination is necessary for diagnosis. Straight x-ray graphs taken at different positions and measured can result in diagnosis in 90% of the time. When planning treatment, MR, 3D tomography and other examinations may be required. However, it shouldn’t be thought that each radiological problem must absolutely be treated. It is necessary to wait and see if the patient has pains. In some cases, despite radiological problems observed in persons at ages of 70-80, there is not full calcification and patient has no complaints. However, if pain is present and diagnosis is made, treatment shall be started without delay.
Hip Preventing Surgery and Hip Arthroscopy
There are two treatments to problems such as impingement or disparity, namely open and closed surgery. Open surgery is further divided into major open surgery and mini open surgery. As name implies in open surgery hip joint accessed by opening the tissues and problem is treated. In cases where the problem is smaller or is localized in a specific region, treatment is done with a small five to six centimetre cuts and is called “mini-open”.
Practice of closed surgery called arthroscopy has gained momentum in the last decade. It can be applied to both children and adults. Hip arthroscopy is entering the joint with cameras and other auxiliary equipment from very small cuts and treating the diseases that relate to the joint. Currently it can be used in almost hip related problems but it has its limitations. Unlike other joints, hip is deep in the body and the area is too narrow for the placement and movement of the tools and therefore special angle cameras are used. Thus almost all the hip can be viewed. However, if the hip is too deep and calcified, camera cannot enter between the joints. Other than that, it is possible to use arthroscopy 90% of the time.
Cases that does not allow the use of arthroscopy
If it is considered that there’s active infection in the hip, it shall be employed with care. If the hip is in a state called “attached”, as if glue is applied inside, the hip cannot be separated and intrusion with camera can be damaging. Since this shall not be forced, arthroscopy is not done.
On the other hand, a special rehabilitation program is necessary after arthroscopy. Patients are warned on the movements to avoid. Hospitalization period is generally one day. If the patient is an athlete she can return to sports after 3 months. In some cases this may extend to 6 months.
Contents of the page are for information purposes only, you must consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.