As America’s population faces an aging crisis, hip replacement operations are on the rise.  

The majority of hip replacement operations take place in the elderly where weakened bones caused by conditions such as osteoporosis make them fragile and brittle and susceptible to fractures when routine incidents such as minor falls take place. 

Hip replacement may also be required due to cartilage or joint damage which joint surgery may not be able to adequately address.   Usually the pelvic joint or socket becomes damaged to the point where full replacement is the best option.

A hip replacement is a fairly major procedure as it represents one of the larger bone masses in the body.  Sometimes the femur also needs to be replaced.

High Tech Surgery

High tech solutions and the common nature of the operation has made this type of surgery far easier than in the past.    Typically metal or composite bone replacement prosthetics are substituted for the damaged bone.   The process requires a significant amount of healing time although when complete, many patients find that they are much more energetic and able to perform tasks such as walking than they were prior to the surgery or the event which triggered the surgery.

The cost of a hip replacement operation varies with the severity of the initial damage, the types of materials and techniques used and the prevailing rate for medical services where the operation is conducted.

Post Operative Procedures

Following a replacement operation, therapy and conditioning are typically required until the body learns to adjust to the artificial hip.  

There are a number of medical centers, many located in Florida and Arizona, that specialize in hip replacements and follow up care.

In addition to the elderly, hip surgery may be required if you are in an accident such as a vehicle or industrial accident which prematurely shatters the pelvis, hip and/or the upper portion of the femur and the hip socket.     Emergency care is often required in crushing injuries of this type and hip replacement becomes the only reasonable option.

Price of Hip Operations

Medical coverage and the price of hip operations varies from state to state and provider to provider.   Government medical care and private insurance contractors each have their own rates, plans and policies which give varying degrees of coverage to those in need of hip replacement surgeries.

Advanced Prosthetics

The ability to create artificial limbs or prosthetics has increased immensely, along with the quality of the surgical abilities, training and techniques to put them in place.   The international Olympic committee very nearly was put in the interesting position on ruling on athletic eligibility for the subject of a full hip and leg replacement.    The contestant, fortunately for those who would have to make the eligibility decision were saved when the runner failed to qualify, coming in eleventh place out of ten final positions in the overall qualification competition.   It is clear that the day is not far when athletes and individuals who undergo prosthetic surgery will no longer be at any type of disadvantage and in fact will be augmented and have superior abilities to those who have not had any form of replacement surgery.

While the future of medicine is uncertain, the skill of the practitioners and the techniques they are using continues to improve.  There may come a time when hip operations are not only for those in need of them, but also for those who undergo them for elective surgery reasons to create stronger, faster and more powerful limbs in the style of the six million dollar man.