Total hip replacement is an increasingly popular operation that can significantly improve the quality of the lives of the patients that undergo the procedure. A total hip replacement can significantly reduce pain, improve range of motion of the joint and lead to a more active life.
On the other hand there are sometimes complications after total hip replacement that can lead to a poor result, and even require revision surgery. According to research by Drs. Mark Dwyer, Victor Goldberg and Glenn Wera, as reported in the July 2015 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) journal, the most common complications of total hip replacement surgery that can lead to a poor result are: hip dislocation, infection and osteolysis (or the destruction/disappearance of bone tissue).
According to the researchers, there were approximately 332,000 total hip replacements in 2010 with a 3.9% dislocation rate. Risk factors for complications after total hip replacement can be divided into two major groups: 1) patient-related and 2) surgically-related.
Risk factors that are associated with complications following a total hip replacement include the following:
- Female gender
- Advanced age
- Obesity
- Poor compliance
- Elevated American Society of Anesthesiologists score
- Previous hip surgery
- Neuromuscular conditions
Surgery related risk factors associated with problems following a total hip replacement include the following:
- Surgical approach
- Component position
- Restoration of leg length and offset
- Implant choice
- Soft tissue repair
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