Total hip replacements have had a stigma that they’re only for older people, this means many younger people suffer, unnecessarily in silence, with hip pain. As the medical technology improves so does the life expectancy of the artificial joint, therefore there is less need for revised worn artificial joints, which was the initial reservation of operating on younger people.

Physit recently attended a seminar where Mr Giles Stafford, a leading Orthopaedic Hip Specialist, discussed surgical advances with total hip joint replacements.

The technology they now use is remarkable!

They use new bone-conserving implants called ‘MiniHips’, and 3-D printed personalised joints, which are then inserted with laser-guided assistance. We discussed differences in hip anatomy between people in last week’s blog, and we can see the massive benefit of utilising these technologies.

Giles has done a brilliant write up on his surgical techniques, which you can read here: http://gilesstafford.com/total-hip-replacement

The question then becomes, “If I’m getting hip pain, when do I need a joint replacement?” The answer is function dependent and is based on what you’re missing out on in your everyday life and/or sporting activities.

Common hip issues begin with a ‘start up sign’ – where it takes a few steps to get your hip going, or getting pain when tying up your shoe laces. This may result in impaired walking and/or issues with sleep.

At Physit, we can correctly diagnose and discuss options for management and treatment of your hip, there’s no need to suffer under preconceived ideas that:

a) You’ll need a hip replacement

b) You’re too young for one, if it is required

Physit Physiotherapy

Suffering from pain in your hip? Not to worry, Hip Replacement Surgery is making leaps and bounds. Technology in Hip Replacement Surgery now uses ‘mini-hips’ and 3D printed Joints.