There are many orthopedic manufacturing companies that produce different implants used in hip replacement surgery. Most of these companies make several different hip replacement prostheses. Is there a way to determine which hip replacement implant is best?
Hip Replacement Surgery
When a hip replacement surgery is performed, a damaged worn-out hip joint is replaced with an artificial implant. The materials used in the artificial implant may vary, but they often include metal, plastic, or ceramic.
Hip Implants
Asking orthopaedic surgeons what hip replacement is best is like going to a car show and asking people which car is best. You'll find lots of different answers, and each person thinks they've got the right one. That is not to say that any one individual is right or wrong, but there are many factors, and sometimes different factors, that surgeons may consider when evaluating which type of implant they prefer to use.
One of the most important aspects of hip replacement surgery is determining the proper implant to be used in the operation. However, people disagree on what criteria are most important to selecting the best hip replacement implant.
1. Do you use the implant with the newest design, or the implant with the longest track record?
2. Does a surgeon use many different implants depending on each patient, or become most comfortable with using one type for every patient?
3. Should a surgeon use implants suggested or asked for by their patients?
Orthopedic supply companies have begun to advertise directly to consumers. Sometimes sees advertisements are seen in magazines, newspapers, late-night television, or brochures in your doctor's office. The advertisements might make you believe that one implant has been shown to be better than others. This has been seen recently with ads for ceramic hip replacements.
The truth is that no one knows what the "best" implant is. The ideal hip replacement implant will allow for normal activities, normal motion, and last the patient's lifetime. The only way to know if these goals will be met is to use the implant in people doing normal activities, and follow their results for decades.