Hip pain: when is a prosthesis necessary?

Does your hip hurt with every step? The walking stick has become your daily companion and even just putting on shoes and socks is difficult for you. You just wish you could be pain-free again. If conservative treatment options have been exhausted without providing relief, an artificial hip joint can help you regain a better quality of life. Every year, more than 400 hip prostheses are inserted or replacement operations are performed at our specialist clinic. The Sportklinik Hellersen works together with various of the world's leading manufacturers of artificial joints in order to provide each patient with the best joint replacement for them.

Causes of a hip replacement

The main causes of hip replacement are osteoarthritis, fractures of the femoral neck and rheumatic diseases. Sometimes a bone infarction due to a circulatory disorder leads to the death of bone substance (femoral head necrosis) and an artificial hip joint becomes necessary.

Minimally invasive hip surgery: how the operation works

At the Sportklinik Hellersen, the artificial hip joint is implanted using a minimally invasive procedure. This tissue-sparing procedure means that patients are fit much more quickly after the operation and require less pain medication than with other surgical techniques.

In addition, the doctors at the specialist clinic regularly use the cell saver system, which also contributes to a faster recovery and reduces the infection rate. Patient blood that is collected during the operation or in the first few hours after an operation is purified with this system, reprocessed and returned to the patient so that the administration of foreign blood during the hip operation is rarely necessary.

How long does an artificial hip joint last?

15 to 20 years is the estimated lifespan of an artificial hip. However, the hip specialists at the Sportklinik Hellersen know from experience that, thanks to improved materials, a hip prosthesis can last much longer in many patients.

Replacement operation necessary: In-house bone bank offers an advantage

If a hip replacement operation is necessary, the hip specialists at the Sportklinik Hellersen can make use of the in-house bone bank. Bone that is lost during the operation is elaborately prepared and deep-frozen using the latest technology. The bone is needed to optimally fill larger bone defects or holes during prosthesis replacement operations. The advantage for the patient: Unlike with purchased bone tissue, the doctors at the in-house bone bank know exactly which bone donor the tissue comes from.