hip replacement (redirected from Artificial hips)

hip replacement

Etymology: AS, hype

substitution of an artificial ball and socket joint for the hip joint. Hip replacement is performed to relieve a chronically painful and stiff hip in advanced osteoarthritis, an improperly healed fracture, degenerative joint disease, or rheumatoid arthritis. Antibiotic therapy is begun before surgery, and the patient is taught to walk with crutches or a walker. During surgery the femoral head, neck, and part of the shaft are removed, and the contours of the socket are smoothed. A prosthesis of a durable, hard metal alloy or stainless steel is attached to the femur. A metal or a plastic acetabulum is implanted. The affected leg is kept abducted and in straight alignment with pillows; external rotation of the leg must be prevented. The nurse observes nerve function and circulation in the leg frequently during the first postoperative day. The most frequent complications are infection requiring removal of the new joint and dislocation. Ambulation begins gradually, with frequent short walks. Sitting for more than 1 hour is to be prevented, and hip flexion beyond 60 degrees may cause dislocation of the prosthesis. The patient continues an exercise program after discharge to maintain functional motion of the hip joint and to strengthen the abductor muscles. Weight-bearing may be modified according to the type of prosthesis implanted.

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Patient discussion about hip replacement.

Q. Two weeks ago I fell and my back is still aching. What do you recommend I do? I'm 85 years old and have a history of 5 back operations. I fell a few times in the past couple of years, but I usually manage to live on my own and well. Recently I fell and hurt my left leg which is the one that I had a hip operation and of course problems and pain. I have resting and using my walking stick to balance myself better and I try to rest as much as possible. I know that time is the best healer, but i would love to see a video or read about my situation in order to improve my situation and learn new facts or tips. thanks you.

A. from your description i would say you are probably osteoporotic no? my mother is in the same situation.. she broke her arm (shattered would be more exact)and it took forever to heal. she had a lot of time on her hand so i looked for web pages about osteoporosis for her to read about, here is what i found:
http://www.nof.org/

http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/osteopor_new.asp

and here is a site with many short videos, one of the about back pain in osteoporosis!:
http://www.healthline.com/hgy-transcripts/back-pain-and-osteoporosis

all this, by the way, is not instead of going to a specialist...
take care!!