Is there a hip replacement procedure where a metal device is fitted over the ball-end of the femur and cemented or swaged on -- as an alternative to the procedure where a pin with a ball-end is inserted into the femur. Who is doing this procedure?

-- Leslie Montes (leslie.montes@snet.net), March 26, 2003

Answers

The metal hip that you are talking about, i think is called birmingham hip resurfacing prosthesis. Ive just been made aware of this procedure recently by my doctor. I was told that i shouldn't have a hip reconstruction as it would make it too hard to have this procedure done at a later date. I was also made aware of a injection that they addminister with the aid of ultra sound, and only takes a few minutes. I'm wondering if anyone else has had it, and does it work. The web sight for the bermingham hip is www.osteoz.com

-- Theresa Segovic (nsegovic@optusnet.com.au), March 27, 2003.

There is a procedure called a Hip Resurfacing which is essentially as you described it. It is currently part of an FDA Investigational Study. There are two companies: one is called Corin and the other is Wright Medical. You can find information on these IDE studies on their websites.

http://www.wmt.com//Patients/hip/resurfacing.asp

http://www.resurfacingofthehip.com/

-- Marc W. Hungerford, M.D. (mhunger@jhmi.edu), March 27, 2003.

You should visit this website: http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/hip/hiprepqa.htm

-- Robert Toussie (Robert Toussie @aol.com), March 15, 2004.