Research Articles

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head most frequently affects 30 to 50 year olds. Although the actual pathology behind femoral osteonecrosis is not yet understood, the disease typically follows a progres ...more
Consider these statistics: 202,500 total hip replacements were done in 2003. In that same year, 36,000 total hip replacements were operated on again to revise, remove, or replace the first implant. Th ...more
Femoroacetabular impingement, otherwise known as FAI, does not have one symptom or one clinical test that tells the physician, "Yes, this person has femoroacetabular impingement FAI)". Instead, the di ...more
Surgeons (and patients) will find this review article on current treatment concepts for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) of interest. Studies show that the anatomic abnormalities associated with thi ...more
Big Question: Do Cemented Implants Hold Up Better Than Cementless? When joint replacements are put in place, they can be cemented in place or the surgeon can use a cementless type that fills in with ...more
Just like families with multiple generations (great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, children), objects like hip replacements have generations. The first group of hip implants designed in the 1960 ...more
It is not uncommon for adults 65 and older to develop hip and spine problems at the same time. Degenerative osteoarthritis of the hip along with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) is referred ...more
Surgery for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has been reported "successful" but results are only available for the early or short-term postoperative period. This study from Switzerland followed a gr ...more
If you like to run but you've worn your hip joint out and you need a hip replacement, your running days may not be over. According to the results of this study from France, running after hip resurfaci ...more
More than ever before, adults are seeking and receiving hip replacements at a younger age and with the intent of remaining active in recreational and sports activities. In this report, a team of surge ...more
In this study, surgeons from the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) evaluate the long-term results for patients who were treated for slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) with a treatment approach ...more
In this article, Dr. James W. Pritchett, orthopedic surgeon from Orthopaedics International in Seattle, Washington provides us with an in-depth review of a condition known as metallosis. Metallosis fo ...more
You finally get some pain relief from that hip or knee arthritis with a joint replacement and then the bone around the implant or the implant itself fractures. Why does this happen and what can be don ...more
Many older adults sustain a hip fracture every year. Increasing age combined with certain risk factors such as osteoporosis (decreased bone density) makes it more and more likely that an older adult w ...more
Despite all efforts to prevent hip fractures, this injury remains a major problem among adults 65 and older. And with the aging Baby Boom population (born between 1946 and 1964) now entering Medicare, ...more
All intertrochanteric hip fractures are not alike. And because of that, each one must be evaluated and treated depending on the specific subtype of fracture present. The intertrochanteric region of th ...more
That's a long title but it reflects a long journey from childhood into adult years with a condition called Legg-Calvé-Perthes (LCP) disease. What happens to these children with and without trea ...more
Hip and/or groin pain in a young athlete is often a signal that something's not quite right. And one of the most common causes of hip pain in this group is a condition known as femoroacetabular imping ...more
Surgeons Take a Closer Look at a Hip Replacement Implant Hip replacement surgery has been around long enough now that there are numerous implants to choose from. Size, design, type of material, and c ...more
Diagnosing and Treating Complications of Hip Dislocation Hip dislocation in young adults is usually the result of a sports injury or high-speed traumatic event (e.g., car accident). This report on tr ...more
Athletes At All Levels Can Return to Sports After Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement Femoroacetabular impingement, otherwise known as FAI has become a household name in the world of sports and ...more
Is Hip Bursitis Still Around?Pain along the side of the hip is still a common spot for bursitis (also known as greater trochanter pain syndrome. A large tendon passes over the bony bump on the side of ...more
Antiinflammatory medications are used after a total hip replacement to prevent a complication called heterotopic ossification (HO). HO is the formation of bone in the soft tissues around the joint. Th ...more
Just because you've never knowingly injured your hip doesn't mean you don't have a hip problem. That's one conclusion from this review article on the topic of hip instability.Hip instability can inclu ...more
Hip Replacement in Adults Who Had Perthes Disease As a Child Hip replacement in adults who had Perthes disease as a child is technically challenging and difficult but entirely possible and with good ...more
It's no surprise that a hip replacement reduces pain, increases hip motion, and restores movement and function. After all, that's why people have the procedure done. The real question now is how long ...more
In this update on osteonecrosis of the hip, two orthopedic surgeons on opposite sides of the globe team up to review diagnosis, causes, and treatment. Dr. G. C. Babis from the University of Athens and ...more
Fractures of the femur (thigh bone) in young children often require a special hip-to-toe cast called a hip spica cast. In this study, the rate of skin problems caused by hip spica casts is investigate ...more
Did you know that two-thirds of all adults who have a total hip replacement also have high blood pressure? And many patients getting a hip replacement have what's called multiple comorbidities -- in o ...more
It doesn't happen very often but sometimes patients who have a total hip replacement end up having a second or revision surgery because of a failed implant. Even more rare is the occasional revision s ...more
In Finland, almost all patients who receive a total hip replacement are enrolled in a data registry called the Finnish Arthroplasty Registry. Information on the patient's age, sex (male or female), di ...more
The 13 co-authors of this article sat on a committee together to come up with Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for the diagnosis of infections in joint replacements. The proposed guidelines were ap ...more
In this study, treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease (also known as Perthes disease) with triple pelvic osteotomy is evaluated for its effectiveness. That statement will make a lot more sense ...more
The title of this article will catch the eye of any surgeon because it includes the phrase: Systematic Review. The statistical significance of any conclusions from a systematic review is worth noting. ...more
Treatment of Asymptomatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Treatment of holes in the articular cartilage of the knee has taken a decided turn in the last 15 years. Surgeons have found ways to either ...more
Many seniors put off having a total hip replacement despite the pain and loss of function that the arthritic joint is causing. They are afraid that it will hurt even more after the surgery and that it ...more
There isn't one part of the body (no matter how small) that doesn't have a specific function -- and often more than one job to do. That's also the case with the labrum, a horseshoe-shaped bit of fibro ...more
Hip dysplasia is a condition where the head of the femur (thigh bone) does not fit properly into the acetabelum (the cup-like area of the pelvis where the femur sits). For several years, a procedure c ...more
Hip Resurfacing is a new way to manage painful joint destruction at an age too young for a total hip replacement. Active adults thinking about having this procedure done want to know -- how active can ...more
If you've ever had squeaky shoes while trying to sneak into a movie theatre, church, synagogue, or down a quiet hallway, you know how annoying it can be. Imagine if that noise was coming from your hip ...more
Pain along the back of the hip can be a very complex and puzzling condition to figure out. It's a fairly rare problem and affects athletes involved in golf, dance, or soccer most often. This article w ...more
We hear a lot about knee arthroscopy but hip arthroscopy is a reality in the orthopedic world, too. Placing a scope in the hip joint and performing procedures like removing tissue or loose bits of car ...more
Groin pain is serious business for athletes trying to stay in the game. Hockey and soccer players are at greatest risk for adductor muscle strain but any athlete in any sport can be affected. The addu ...more
Sports medicine physicians and orthopedic surgeons see all kinds of injuries in the athletic population. One of the less common but very challenging areas of injury to evaluate is the hip. More specif ...more
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS or Academy) asked a panel of nine surgeons from around the United States to review the status of metal-on-metal hip resurfacing and give us a summary ...more
Have you ever heard of coxa sultans? Sounds like a member of the Arabian royalty. But it's really an annoying hip condition that results in a snapping sound and feeling that occurs in some people when ...more
Is Total Hip Surgery marked on your calendar? It is recommended to speak to your doctor and a Physical Therapist to discuss post-operative activity restrictions. It important that you know that this ...more
The Charnley hip replacement has been around since the 1960s, when it was pioneered as a low-friction hip replacement. Hip replacements (arthroplasties) are, in general, one of the most carefully wa ...more
There's one good way to find out if something new is working. Try it on a group of people and compare it to a second group who didn't get the same thing. That's what senior orthopedic surgeon W. Thoma ...more
Health care for seniors is taking a decided turn in other countries. In Italy, for example, hospitals that focus on the care of older adults are being developed. With the special needs of this populat ...more
This is the first study reported to look at the benefit of aquatic therapy in the early days after joint replacement. Physical Therapists in Australia randomly placed patients getting a hip or knee re ...more
Your knee creaks and hurts and it gets worse going up or down stairs, getting up after sitting a while, and when keeping the knee bent. Don't even bother trying to squat. Sound familiar? You could be ...more
Can a healthy and normally aligned patella (kneecap) dislocate? Many experts have debated this question. Certainly, anatomic variations from the norm are linked with both acute (sudden) and chronic (r ...more
Everything seems faster these days -- including rehab and recovery from total hip and total knee replacements. In this study from Denmark, a group of researchers compared patients in a standard rehab ...more
There's a move in the medical world to help health care professionals get on the same page. What does that mean? Well, if you have a health problem, condition, illness, disease, or injury -- no matter ...more
Here are a few facts to consider. A quarter of a million people in the United States will fracture their hips this year. One-fourth of those adults die within the first 12 months after that fracture. ...more
In some countries with universal or nationalized health care, a joint replacement is considered an elective procedure. That means the person chooses to have the operation but it's not an emergency pro ...more
In this study, researchers from the Gait and Posture Lab at the University of Montreal in Canada compare walking patterns between patients who had a total hip replacement versus a surface replacement ...more
Imagine going from having a painful arthritic hip to a squeaking but pain free hip. That can happen after a total hip replacement (THR). What causes this problem? And what can be done about it? Those ...more
Doesn't it seem odd that after 30 or more years using ceramic implants for hip replacements that suddenly there is an increased number of patients reporting squeaking when they move? And this new prob ...more
A group of orthopedic surgeons from four well-known orthopedic clinics took the time to review available studies on hip fractures. In this report, they summarize the evidence around treating femoral h ...more
There are high costs associated with a hip dislocation after a total hip replacement (THR). And they are not all financial. The psychologic distress of a hip dislocation and fear of recurring dislocat ...more
There are many, many possible causes of hip pain. An accurate diagnosis is needed to direct treatment. But this can be elusive and take a long time to make. In this first part of a two-part series, hi ...more