The hip is one of the most crucial weight-bearing joints in the musculoskeletal system. It helps mobilise our entire body in conjunction with the knee, the ankle and the foot. However, many conditions can damage the hip and result in hip dysfunction.
Read the following article and learn why even young adults need hip replacement surgery along with other critical aspects.
Anatomy of The Hip Joint
The hip is a ball-and-socket joint.
The ball part is called the femoral head while the socket part is called the acetabulum. The femoral head fits the acetabulum and forms the hip joint.
The former is part of the femur or the thigh bone. The latter belongs to the lower region of the pelvis; the acetabulum is a concave-like cavity.
Injuries, abnormalities or conditions related to the ball, the socket or both result in hip joint pain, dysfunction and immobility issues.
Reasons Why Young Adults Require Hip Replacement Surgery
The following hip problems, deformities and complications require young adults to undergo hip replacement surgery. The surgery is the only option that can help eliminate pain and restore mobility.
However, the surgery is only recommended when symptoms like pain, stiffness, swelling and immobility have become unbearable. And, it has started interfering with day-to-day essential activities.
Hip Dysplasia: In this condition, the socket of the hip joint doesn’t accommodate the femoral head adequately. In other words, hip dysplasia means the hip socket is smaller or shallower than usual.
This anatomical inadequacy leads to improper accommodation of the femoral head into the socket. Over time, the condition leads to erosion of articular cartilage, damage to adjacent soft tissue and hip dysfunctionality. Ultimately, it culminates in joint inflammation and immobility.
Perthes Disease: Perthes Disease is another name for femoral head idiopathic osteonecrosis. In other words, perthes disease means the death of the bone cells in the femoral head. After this osteonecrosis, the head collapses completely.
However, the head might not reform normally as before. Abnormally formed joint parts rub against each other and cause degenerative changes (osteoarthritis) over time.
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis: Each bone has two ends. The end part of a bone is called epiphysis. When an end (or epiphysis) of a long bone slips out of its place while the other part remains in place, it is called a slipped epiphysis.
The same condition in the femoral epiphysis is called slipped capital femoral epiphysis.
Femoroacetabular Impingement: During growth in a child, parts of the hip might not form properly, causing impingement issues. Sometimes, the abnormality is related to one part either the femoral head or the socket; other times, both parts can form poorly.
Such conditions make gliding movements between the hip socket and ball difficult and the person experiences stiffness, pain, swelling and immobility issues.
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (or Chronic Childhood Arthritis): It is an autoimmune condition like rheumatoid arthritis. JIA damages joints and leads to chronic pain, stiffness and swelling with mobility issues.
The exact cause of this condition isn’t known. Yet, heredity and environment both appear to be working as contributing factors.
Fractures: Injuries to the hip during growth years or when you are young might damage the joint badly. Fractures can be debilitating and excruciatingly painful. And, surgery can be the only option to restore function.
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Hip Replacement Surgery
This is a surgical intervention where the damaged parts of the hip are removed. After the removal, new surfaces are created using an implant. A hip replacement implant or prosthesis is usually made up of metal and plastic.
The acetabular cup, the polyethylene liner, the femoral head and the stem are the four components of the implant.
Types of Replacements
There are two types of replacements concerning the hip, namely, a total hip replacement and a partial hip replacement.
When the hip is totally damaged, it requires total arthroplasty to eliminate pain and restore motion.
Furthermore, partial hip replacement surgery is required when the hip joint is not fully damaged and the situation can be fixed with a partial intervention.
Under the total intervention, both the ball and socket are resurfaced; in the partial procedure, only the femoral ball is operated and thus replaced.
To learn about recovery, refer to the following link: hip replacement surgery recovery time.
Diagnosis
For an exact diagnosis, a surgeon will examine the hip thoroughly with the help of various diagnostic tests before surgery.
X-ray: This test helps find out the conditions of bones and joints.
MRI: This test or Magnetic Resonance Imaging allows an orthopedic surgeon to find soft tissue and bone-related problems easily. An MRI test provides detailed images of the internal body structures. Yet, this isn’t suitable for people who already have metal implants within their bodies.
CT Scan: Unlike MRI, a CT scan is suitable for everyone. It is as effective as an MRI test. A doctor can examine bones, joints and soft tissues—every structure—with the help of this technology.
Symptoms
Young adults requiring hip replacement surgery typically face the following symptoms.
● Hip pain and stiffness
● Inflammation
● Mobility issues
● Difficulty moving the hip and lower extremity in the full range of motion
Hip pain also has a psychological side. A person with chronic and debilitating hip pain is more prone to depression, mood swings, anxieties and other psychological issues.
Conclusion
Various hip problems like congenital deformities, post-birth conditions and even external traumas require one to undergo hip replacement surgery even at a young age. All these problems are explained above in detail.
The hip replacement is a safe and effective surgical procedure. Typically, people are on their feet 24 hours after the surgery. Thus, it doesn’t even involve a long hospital stay.
If you are a young person with mild hip pain that has lasted long, don’t ignore this condition. This might be the onset of a serious problem. Consult an orthopedist.
