Hip Resurfacing at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics at Sinai Hospital

An exciting alternative to standard total hip replacement surgery is now available at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics (RIAO) at Sinai Hospital. Hip resurfacing has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States. Now, patients at the RIAO suffering from hip pain and arthritis can benefit from this treatment approach.

Arthritis of the hip has several different causes and almost all of them can be treated with hip resurfacing. Primary osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is especially well suited for this new technique. Dysplasia patients, who suffer from an abnormal hip anatomy that leads to increased “wear and tear,” also are prime candidates for the resurfacing technique. Those with avascular necrosis or osteonecrosis, which results from altered blood flow to the hip joint, can also benefit from this technique.

Until recently, orthopaedists were recommending standard total hip replacement for almost all later stage surgically treated hip problems. These hip replacements require removing a large amount of bone from the femur or thigh-bone and inserting a long metal stem into the center of the remaining bone.

“Hip resurfacing, on the other hand, preserves the femoral bone, and requires surgeons to remove only the top centimeter of the head of the thigh-bone,” says Michael A. Mont, M.D., director of the RIAO’s Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement. “Patient recovery time can be fast and patients often walk normally and participate in high-level activities sooner. And if future revision surgery is required, it often is a less complex and traumatic procedure.”

One recently published gait study at the RIAO showed that hip resurfacing patients had a more normal speed and other walking parameters when compared to traditional hip replacements. Because the implant used in a hip resurfacing more closely matches the patient’s bone size, it may allow for more stability than traditional hip replacements.

“Traditionally, only the ball of a hip replacement was made from metal, and the socket was lined with a plastic cup, which often wore out over the course of many years,” says Ronald E. Delanois,
M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon at the RIAO.With new metallurgy and manufacturing techniques, both components are made of highly polished metal.

“The benefits to patients who undergo the hip resurfacing procedure are clear,” says Barry N. Waldman, M.D., director of the Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement at the RIAO. “The implant’s size, surface, and bone-sparing ability makes it an excellent choice for young, active patients.”

“Hip resurfacing may be a dramatic breakthrough for many patients. We must remember that standard total hip replacements also function well and patient selection for this new procedure is important,” says Wayne Leadbetter, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon at the RIAO.

For more information about hip resurfacing procedures performed at Sinai Hospital’s Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, call 410-601-WELL (9355).