Few things affect our well-being like constant pain and loss of mobility. Hip surgeons can defeat these problems today, restoring movement and changing lives. Orthopaedic surgery has come a long way since the first tentative attempts to progress from reducing simple fractures and dislocations. Undoubtedly, the most significant breakthroughs have been:
Joint replacements
The first, albeit unsuccessful, effort to replace a diseased hip joint with an artificial one occurred in the early 17th century. However, it took another hundred years of failed or only partially successful attempts before knee replacements became feasible. Even so, developing a successful hip replacement procedure took a while longer.
Joint replacement is technically known as arthroplasty, and its success has been as much about developing robust, biocompatible materials for the prosthetic components as perfecting the associated surgery. However, although widely regarded as the ultimate achievement by shoulder, knee and hip surgeons, arthroplasty is only one of several game-changing innovations in orthopaedics.
Arthroscopy
Although X-rays proved to be a valuable diagnostic aid for orthopaedic specialists, the arthroscope enabled surgeons to view the interior of a joint via a small incision, avoiding the need to expose it completely. However, it was not long before hip surgeons and others leveraged this new tool to perform minimally invasive joint surgery, including partial and total joint replacements. Arthroscopic joint replacements limit the risk of infection and excessive haemorrhaging and significantly reduce recovery time.
Orthopaedic hardware
Hip fractures are common and frequently the result of a fall or a motor accident. It is the upper part of the femur that is fractured, leaving the pelvic structure unaffected. With the aid of a few items of orthopaedic hardware, an orthopaedic surgeon can often avoid the more radical option of replacing the damaged joint. Instead, they may be able to make a small incision through which to gather the broken bone fragments and reassemble them using surgical-grade stainless steel or titanium screws, nails or plates to secure them.
Children and younger adults whose fractures are intracapsular, meaning they affect the head and neck of the femur, are considered the more suitable candidates for these procedures. By contrast, arthroscopy is generally the option of choice for hip specialists when treating such fractures in older patients.
These three orthopaedic developments are helping people regain their mobility, freeing them from debilitating chronic pain and transforming their lives.
What Does the Future Hold for Hip Surgeons?
The future of orthopaedics will be driven by new technologies, many of which are already revolutionising fields like manufacturing, dentistry and education. Inevitably, most, if not all, will eventually find innovative applications in orthopaedics. However, the following will likely prove to be the most transformative:
- Regenerative medicine: Stem cell therapy, tissue engineering, and growth factors promise new ways to promote tissue repair, enhance joint function and regenerate cartilage.
- 3D printing: This technology will enable customised, perfectly fitting prosthetics.
- Robotics: Although already established, improved accuracy will speed the growth of robot-assisted surgery.
Leading Hip Surgeons in South Africa
The expertise and experience of Dr Jan De Vos and his team made Pretoria’s Wilgers Life Hospital a national and international referral destination for hip, knee and shoulder surgery. Contact us for more information or to book an appointment.
