Hip Care | Hip Arthritis Resurfacing Surgery

Dr. Henry Backe is an integral part of the Orthopaedic Specialty
Group, P. C. team for over 25 years. Dr. Backe’s exceptional surgical skills are complemented by a personable style and dedication to the highest quality patient outcomes and satisfaction. He is a board certified orthopaedic surgeon and is fellowship trained in the area of hand, wrist and joint replacement.

Hip Specialist In The Greater Fairfield & Shelton Connecticut Areas

Dr. Henry Backe treats hip conditions at his offices in Fairfield and Shelton, Connecticut. Dr. Backe of Orthopedic Specialty Group, is a specially-trained orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hip conditions and injuries. Each of his patients receives a unique treatment plan matching their lifestyle goals. As a leader in the minimally invasive Hip Resurfacing hip replacement, he is an advocate of state-of-the art technologies that benefit his patients in many ways.

FAQs on Hip Resurfacing Surgery

Hip Arthritis Resurfacing Surgery

Patients with advanced arthritis of the hip may be candidates for hip resurfacing (resurfacing arthroplasty). This procedure is a type of hip replacement, but there are important differences between hip resurfacing and traditional Hip Replacement Surgery.

What is Hip resurfacing?

Hip resurfacing is a type of surgery to replace a damaged hip joint.

In the normal hip joint, the rounded head of the thighbone (the femoral head) moves smoothly inside the round socket of the hipbone. Normally, the socket is lined with cartilage, which helps the bones move smoothly. When there is damage to this joint, moving the femoral head may cause pain as the bones scrape together abnormally.

During resurfacing, your surgeon makes an incision to access your hipbone and thighbone. Next, he or she trims and caps your femoral head with a smooth metal covering. Your surgeon also removes the part of the damaged bone with the hipbone socket, replacing it with a metal shell.

Resurfacing is a type of hip replacement surgery. In traditional hip replacement surgery, the surgeon removes your femoral head completely instead of just capping it with a metal covering. He or she also replaces the socket of the hipbone, just like in hip resurfacing surgery.

During a resurfacing procedure, Dr. Backe preserves the femoral head, which is not removed, but is instead trimmed, and capped with a smooth metal covering. The damaged bone and cartilage within the socket are removed and replaced with a metal shell, just as in a traditional total hip replacement.

Why might I need it?

You might need resurfacing if you have significant damage to your hip joint. Different types of medical conditions can damage this joint, like:

  • Osteoarthritis (most common)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Injury or fracture of the hip joint
  • Bone tumor in the hip joint

The damage to your hip joint, if significant, eventually causes pain and can interfere with your activities of daily life. Resurfacing may help decrease your pain, improve your joint mobility, and result in a better quality of life. Usually, healthcare providers only recommend resurfacing if you still have significant problems even after the use of other, more conservative treatments, like pain medicines and assistive walking devices.

Talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of having hip resurfacing instead of traditional total hip replacement. Resurfacing may decrease the risk of certain complications, like hip dislocation. But it may increase the risk for other complications. These include femoral neck fracture and reaction to metal ion debris. If you have hip resurfacing, it may make it easier for your healthcare provider to perform later revision surgery on your joint than in the case of total hip replacement. Resurfacing may be a better choice for some people. This is especially true for younger adults (less than 60 years) with larger frames and healthy bones.

Advantages of It

The advantages of resurfacing, over traditional total hip replacement, is:

  • Resurfacing may be easier to revise (redo). Because the components (called implants) used in hip replacements and resurfacings are mechanical parts, they can — and do — wear out or loosen over time. This typically occurs 15 to 20 years after the procedure, although implants may last longer or shorter periods of time.
  • Decreased risk of hip dislocation. In resurfacing, the size of the ball is larger than in a traditional hip replacement, and it is closer to the size of the natural ball of your hip. Because of this, it may be harder to dislocate. This stance is controversial because several factors can affect the risk of dislocation, including the surgical approach, and the type and size of the implants used.
  • More normal walking pattern. Some studies have shown that walking patterns are more natural following hip resurfacing compared to traditional hip replacement. These differences in walking are quite subtle, however, and special instruments are needed to measure them.Dr. Henry Backe is one of the only orthopedic Surgeon in Connecticut to perform the resurfacing procedure.