Hip Surgery :

Hip Resurfacing

Total hip replacements in young patients are effective for a few years but then they wear out, particularly if you are working or wish to play sports. When a hip replacement wears out it is likely that the operation will have to be repeated (revision surgery) and sometimes this is quite an undertaking. Hip resurfacing was developed to try and overcome some of these problems.

The resurfacing is made of a durable metal alloy (chrome cobalt molybdenum) which wears only very slowly. Because of this the bearing can be made large enough to fit over the head of the femur which is removed when a conventional hip replacement is used. If the hip resurfacing fails at a later date, revision surgery is much more straightforward compared with a conventional hip replacement.

Hip resurfacing is a relatively new technique, which was developed to treat painful arthritis in younger more active patients. The results are usually excellent, and in many ways better than the results of hip replacement. The risk of dislocation, one of the most common complications of hip replacement, is virtually eliminated with hip resurfacing. Most patients who have had hip resurfacing return to work and sports within a few months of surgery.

Hip resurfacing is still regarded as an experimental operation because it has not been performed for as long as hip replacement. The results in the short to medium term are excellent, but we do not yet know what the long term (10+ years) results are. Some people are concerned about the effects of long term exposure to chromium and cobalt. High concentrations of these metals can damage cells or cause allergic reactions, but there is no convincing evidence available to show that these bearings are harmful to health.