Total Hip Replacement

What is a Total Hip Replacement?

Total Hip Replacement is a surgical operation aiming to replace a damaged or diseased hip joint.

Arthritis is the most common form of damage. After the onset of arthritis the damage usually worsens to the point where the patient has a great deal of pain and mobility is severely restricted.

Arthritis wears away an increasing amount of the gristle (articular cartilage) lining the ball and socket shaped bones that make up the hip joint. It is this cartilage which normally helps the joint to move smoothly without friction and also functions as a shock absorber. As the articular cartilage is worn away, the underlying bone becomes exposed.

Hip replacement surgery is one of the most reliable operations in orthopaedic surgery and consistently reduces or eliminates the pain of the arthritis in most patients. We replace both sides of the joint with a normally cemented femur and an un-cemented cup to limit the possibility of dislocation.