Hip Conditions

Total hip replacements are performed most commonly because of progressively worsening of severe arthritis in the hip joint. Progressively intense chronic pain together with impairment of daily function including walking, climbing stairs, and even arising from a sitting position, eventually become reasons to consider a total hip replacement. The most common type of arthritis leading to total hip replacement is:

In the recovery room, you will recover from surgery until you are awake and alert. You could experience chills or nausea-these are normal side effects of anesthesia. You may notice:

• Degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) of the hip joint (This type of arthritis is generally seen with aging, congenital abnormality of the hip joint, or prior trauma to the hip joint)

Other conditions leading to total hip replacement include:

• bony fractures of the hip joint
• rheumatoid arthritis
• death (aseptic necrosis, or avascular necrosis) of the hip bone (Hip bone necrosis can be caused by fracture of the hip, drugs (such as prednisone and prednisolone), alcoholism, and systemic diseases (such as systemic lupus erythematosus)

Osteoarthritis is a disorder in which the cartilage in the joints of the body gradually breaks down, allowing the surfaces of the bones to rub directly and wear against each other. Eventually the patient experiences swelling, pain, inflammation, and increasing loss of mobility. OA most often affects or appears most often in adults over age 45, and is thought to result from a combination of wear and tear on the joint, lifestyle, and genetic factors. As of 2003, OA is the most common cause of joint damage requiring hip replacement.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that begins earlier in life than OA and affects the whole body. Women are three times as likely as men to develop RA. Its symptoms are caused by the immune system’s attacks on the body’s own cells and tissues. Patients with RA often suffer intense pain even when they are not putting weight on the affected joints. One man described his pain as ” … like a hot poker that’s stuck from this hip right through to the other one.”