Patient Education: Hip Replacement

The Surgical Procedure

Hip replacement is one of the most common forms of total joint replacements. To begin the surgical procedure, the patient will be given an anesthetic (usually a spinal unless contraindicated). The surgeon will then make an incision and prepare the hip bone for implantation of the prostheses. The surgeon will remove the rough surfaces of the bone at the joint and replace them with new smoothly surfaced implants.

Like the human hip, this artificial joint is composed of three components that fit together to form a ball and socket joint. The components of the prosthesis are the ball, stem, and cup. The ball will replace the worn upper end of the femur, while the cup will replace the worn socket in the pelvis. The stem will be inserted into the bone for stability. These components are implanted separately and then brought together. In some cases, the incision is closed after a small tube (called a hemovac) is inserted to help drain fluids from the hip joint area for the first day or so following surgery.

The surgical technique for the total hip replacement is discussed in greater detail in the section labeled Surgical Techniques.

Previous | Next

Return to Patient Education Index