Hip Replacement in Younger Patients Becoming More Common, Arizona Orthopaedic Associates Says

Hip replacements in younger patients are on the rise in America, according to the orthopedic surgeons and hip replacement specialists at Arizona Orthopaedic Associates at Gateway.

While traditionally thought of as a surgery for older patients, hip replacements are becoming more and more common in patients from 45 to 64 years old. From 1998 to 2008, the number of hip replacements performed in 45- to 64-year-old patients increased from 27 to 40 percent, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

According to Arizona Orthopaedic Associates surgeon David Ott, M.D., there are many reasons for such a trend to emerge.

“People are putting more stress on their joints for longer periods of time than previous generations did,” Ott said. “The durability and longevity of hip replacements has significantly increased in the past decade. Younger patients are now eligible for this procedure as a result of the technological advancements. When you couple that with the percentage of people who have osteoarthritis, it makes sense that hip replacements are on the rise in this demographic.”  

For the past several years, Arizona Orthopaedic Associates (AOA) has been meeting the increasing hip replacement demand in the United States with a muscle-sparing hip replacement procedure, the anterior hip replacement, which greatly reduces pain and cuts recovery times by up to three months.

The group has performed more than 1,200 anterior hip replacement surgeries, using a state-of-the-art operating table and intraoperative x-ray to help the Phoenix-based orthopedic surgeons group have patients walking the same day as surgery and returning to full mobility within 2-8 weeks, instead of the typical 2-4 months needed after traditional surgery. And since no muscle is cut during the hip replacement procedure, a patient’s recovery time is significantly shorter and their pain during recovery is much less.

The orthopedic surgeons at AOA have experienced lower dislocation rates with the anterior hip replacement approach, too, thanks to intraoperative x-ray imaging and a specialized table used for the surgery.

There is no need for the movement restrictions and precautions with the anterior hip surgery.

The OSI-Pro-FX, or HANA, table allows AOA surgeons to simply work through the natural interval between the muscles, leaving the most important muscles for hip function - the gluteal muscles that attach to the pelvis and femur - undisturbed, providing patients with the least invasive (and muscle sparing) procedure available and faster recovery time.

The result is reduced pain, less muscle trauma, a lower risk of dislocation and a shorter hospital stay.

About Arizona Orthopaedic Associates At Gateway:
Arizona Orthopaedic Associates at Gateway is committed to excellence by pledging to provide the highest quality of orthopedic care possible. Along with the treatment of immediate or chronic problems, top-rated and board-certified orthopedic surgeons strive to integrate the doctrine of prevention in all treatment plans as a way to alleviate possible future difficulties.

Contact:
Al Stevens
Arizona Orthopaedic Associates at Gateway
690 N. Cofco Center Ct, Suite 290
Phoenix, AZ 85008
480-235-1770