The hip prosthesis

Hip replacement is the only possible treatment for advanced joint degeneration.

This involves the surgical replacement of the femoral head and the acetabulum with artificial components in order to reproduce all the movements of the affected joint as faithfully as possible.

Hip replacement surgery, performed routinely in specialized centers, involves removing the worn cartilage inside the acetabulum in order to prepare the portion of bone that will house the cup. The cup is then placed inside the acetabulum so that it “covers” the old bone surface.

The second phase of the operation involves the removal of the worn femoral head and the positioning of the stem inside the femoral canal that will join with the cup, forming the new joint.

This is a total hip arthroplasty, as opposed to partial arthroplasty or endoprosthesis, which only involves the replacement of the femoral head. Endoprosthesis surgery is recommended in cases of femoral neck fractures when the cartilage surface is still healthy but the fractured bone is unlikely to heal; it is then sufficient to replace only the fractured part, i.e. the neck and the femoral head, with a stem whose head will articulate with the healthy acetabulum.