New Alternative to THR for ...

New Alternative To Hip Replacement Designed For Patients With Active Lifestyles

Main Category: Bones / Orthopaedics News
Article Date: 22 May 2006 - 0:00 PDT

There is a new option for patients suffering from hip pain who do not want to give up their active lifestyle. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center is one of the first hospitals in the U.S. to offer a new alternative for total hip replacement-hip resurfacing. The technique allows the orthopedic surgeon to shave and cap several centimeters of bone within the hip joint, helping to preserve bone and joint stability for young or active patients.

The Innovative Birmingham Hip Resurfacing? System preserves more of the patient's natural bone structures and stability, covering the joint's surfaces with an all-metal implant that more closely resembles a tooth cap than a hip implant. This approach reduces post-operative risks of dislocation and inaccurate leg length, and because the all-metal implant is made from durable, smooth cobalt chrome, it has the potential to last longer than traditional hip implants.

"Hip resurfacing is ideal for many of my young, active patients who suffer from hip pain. As we've seen greater numbers of younger patients and older patients that are physically active, there's been an increased need for an alternative to total hip replacement that accommodates their age and lifestyle," says Dr. William B. Macaulay, director of the Center for Hip and Knee Replacement at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia, and associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and advisory dean at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons...

...NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and its academic partner, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian, which is among U.S. News & World Report's top 10 hospitals nationally, also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and its academic affiliate, Weill Medical College of Cornell University.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
627 West 165th Street
New York, NY 10032
http://www.nyp.org ...

READ MORE