Give Your Hip a Break Without the Wait

Anterior Hip Replacement Cuts Down Recovery by up to 7 weeks

Our hip joints are crucial to our immediate and long-term mobility. For athletes, there’s no way to play through a major hip injury and 6-8 weeks is a long time to be out of the game. Luckily, orthopedic surgeons have developed an innovative approach to the traditional (lateral) hip replacement surgery that limits complications and drastically reduces recovery time.

Anterior hip replacement surgery is an operation that replaces a weak or painful hip ball and socket with a combination of metal and plastic components.

It differs from lateral hip replacement surgery by only requiring a small incision through the front of the body, rather than the side.

Entering through the front allows orthopedic surgeons to slip between muscle tissue to perform this operation. This gives the anterior approach distinct advantages over other hip replacement options.

A New and Improved Hip Replacement Procedure

Anterior hip replacement offers a new option for athletes looking to replace their ailing hips without sidelining themselves for months or risking coming back slower and weaker. As an athlete, the last thing you can afford is a drop in your performance.

The whole goal of sports medicine is to treat athletes ailing body and improve their overall strength, flexibility, and health. This is why surgeons work to find the best possible treatment options that carry few risks or side-effects yet offer maximum results.

The No-Tear Way to Repair Your Hips

Recovering from a hip replacement surgery can be taxing, especially after traditional hip replacement surgery. You’ll be recommended to avoid bending or rotating your hips for at least 6-8 weeks. It can be quite painful depending upon how much muscle tissue needed to be removed for the procedure.

Until your hip muscles fully recover, you’re also more susceptible to experience hip dislocation following the operation. All of this adds up to an unpleasant and lengthy recovery that can now be avoided through this new alternative hip replacement method.

How is Anterior Hip Replacement Surgery Different?

While a shift from entering through the side of the body to entering through the front of the hip may seem like a small detail, anterior hip replacements offer a few distinct advantages over traditional hip replacements:

• Recovery from anterior hip replacement is just 1 week vs. 6-8 weeks with lateral hip replacement.
• Patients can go home the same day of the procedure instead of staying overnight at the hospital.
• Pain will drastically reduce for anterior hip replacement patients because doctors won’t have to remove any muscle tissue for the procedure.
• Flexibility will improve due to reduced recovery time and less damage to the surrounding muscles. Earlier mobility will prevent the hip from locking up, and stronger muscles will improve overall hip function.

What’s the catch?

The vast difference in recovery time, flexibility, and muscle stability are purely due to the difference in approach. A lateral hip replacement procedure requires doctors to remove or cut through muscle fibers in order to reach the hip bone. By operating in a space between muscles, anterior hip replacement avoids painful tearing that can also weaken the hip muscles from holding in the newly replaced ball and socket. Without damaging the gluteal, pelvis or femur muscles, less recovery is required.

One point of caution for patients looking into whether or not anterior hip replacement is right for them is the experience of the surgeon. As a new treatment and a slightly more technically challenging procedure, you will want to be certain to choose a highly capable and experienced orthopedic surgeon or sports medicine specialist.

Athletes in South Florida know that there is a reliable sports medicine expert in All-Pro Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, with 4 convenient locations in Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Palmetto and West Palm Beach. All-Pro gets you back on the field faster with treatments like anterior hip replacement.

To find out if you’re a candidate for anterior hip replacement surgery, call All-Pro Orthopedics at (954) 322-1110 today!