Hip joint prosthesis

The hip joint is one of the most highly stressed joints. This is why this point is often subject to wear (osteoarthritis). If it not possible to alleviate discomfort through conservative treatment or a different type of surgical intervention, the replacement of the damaged joint with an artificial joint helps. This is known as an endoprothesis. This must match the demands and stresses of each patient. As an artificial joint should last a lifetime, the individual choice of the endoprosthesis is particularly important. As in the case of osteoarthritis, it is always both parts of the joint – hip socket and femoral head – which are affected. Both must be replaced.

The progress of the disease, the expected load and the age of the patient determine what type of prosthesis we use. In younger patients, we prefer surface replacement prostheses, the so-called cap prostheses. With these, it is not the entire femoral head that is removed but instead, the femoral head is only provided with a metal cap. The advantage of this lies in the fact that a large part of the bone is preserved. Long-term success however requires a healthy and stable bone from the outset. Short shaft prostheses also represent a good alternative for younger patients as they offer more flexibility when selecting the slide surfaces of the joint. You will be fitted with a titanium steel shaft in the thigh bone measuring only approx. 10 centimetres long and together, you will grow with it. If the bone structure is still good, even in the case of older patients, it can also be supplied with a cement-free prosthesis. Here, we use slightly longer titanium steel shafts which are also well adapted to the bone and guarantee a safe anchorage. If the bone quality is diminished due to osteoporosis, the prosthesis shaft is rigidly anchored using a plastic adhesive, so-called bone cement.