From the heading your kind of wondering if it’s actually some kind of a ball which is present in ur hip and you actually never paid attention to it. Sadly it isn’t any ball! Here the ball refers to the tip or the topmost part of the longest bone in your body that is the femur. Generally, we know it as the head of the femur, cartilages surround it. Also, muscles, and lies in a socket i.e acetabulum attached to the hip joint which allows the various movements of your lower limbs as a whole. Any injury to this setup is most often repaired by hip ball replacement.
From doing splits to running a mile this particular ball along with its attachments to ur hip bone takes a lot of stress hence also one of the most vulnerable and hence injury prone! The kind of joint this so-called ball forms is the ball and socket joint! There are few other ball and socket joints too like the one in ur shoulders which helps the movement of your upper limbs.
When do you require a Hip Ball Replacement?
It is conducted in case of Partial hip replacement, also called hip hemiarthroplasty. It is a surgical procedure where only the femoral head (the ball) of the damaged hip joint replacement takes place.
When is Partial Hip Replacement meant to be performed?
- Advanced physiological age of a person
- Femoral neck fracture that loosens the fixation after several weeks of operation
- Old undiagnosed fractures of femoral neck approximately 3 weeks
- A pre-existing disease of the hip
- Poor general health
- Severe osteoporosis
- Joint instability
- Rheumatoid arthritis patients
- Congenital hip diseases
When is the procedure contraindicated?
- Pre-existing sepsis
- Young patients
- A pre-existing disease of the acetabulum (socket in which the ball lies)
Types of devices used in hip ball replacement —-
The devices used are commonly referred to as a prosthesis.
There are four types of prosthesis:-
Stem prosthesis
- Medullary prosthesis
- Austin Moore prosthesis
- Thompsons prosthesis
This type of hip ball replacement is conducted more in females than in males.
Complications that arise after Hip Ball Replacement Surgery
(Partial Hemiarthroplasty)
- Infection:- The chances of developing an infection following hemiarthroplasty are about one percent, but if it does occur, the complications are serious. Infections can spread to the rest of the hip, potentially requiring another operation.
- Blood clot:- Any operation on the hips or legs raises the risk of a blood clot forming in a leg vein (deep vein thrombosis). If the clot is large enough, it can block blood circulation in the leg.
- Dislocation:- If the ball slips out of the socket, it’s called a dislocation. It’s most common soon after a hemiarthroplasty, while the connective tissue in the joint is still healing. Your doctor and your physical therapist should explain how to avoid a hip dislocation.
- Loosening:- A triumphant hemiarthroplasty should continue about 12 to 15 years or more. After that time or even earlier, the prosthetic hip may lose some of its connection to the bone. This is a painful complication and usually requires another surgery to fix it.
Fleeting occurrences of pain or stiffness are normal after a hemiarthroplasty. Also, you should not tolerate or expect prolonged discomfort in your replaced hip. If the operation is successful and there are no complications, you should enjoy a long, healthy use of your new hip. It’s critical that you participate fully in physical therapy and go to all checkups after surgery.