One of the most exciting advances to improve longevity of joints is hip preservation. Hip preservation can delay or even help avoid hip replacement, as well as the onset of early arthritis.
“There have been tremendous strides in the treatment of hip and this has an impact on young and older people—especially in the field of sports medicine,” said Dr. Harish Hosalkar, an orthopedist at Paradise Valley Hospital and a pioneer in this field. “These procedures allow people to return to jobs and athletes to return to their sport.
Over the last decade, hip structure and mechanics are being better understood, allowing specialists to identify hip problems, including hip impingement or femoro acetabular impingement (FAI). With a better ability to relieve misdiagnosed hip pain, improved diagnostic imaging techniques and minimally invasive surgical treatments are giving many patients new hope.
“The development of highly specialized procedures over the last few years, including re-shaping, de-impingement, labral and cartilage repair, has created new options for patients with hip pain, FAI, injuries and early arthritis,” Dr. Hosalkar said. “Hip specialists are now able to slow or reverse the progression of degenerative hip disease, get patients back to their chosen activities and, in some cases, reduce the need for more surgery.”
Hip arthroscopy, a minimally invasive treatment option, allows orthopedists to trim bone, reshape the femoral head or trim the socket using a burr or spinning drill. Previously, surgeons only had the option of large incisions, but with arthroscopic assistance things have changed now.
Dr. Hosalkar specializes in hip preservation surgery, hip joint reconstruction and replacement surgery, deformity correction, limb-lengthening, traumatic brrain injury/stroke and spasticity, bone tumors, children’s orthopedic surgery, and fracture care. Paradise Valley Hospital’s Hip Preservation Program offers diagnosis, non-surgical treatment options and minimally invasive techniques to treat hip conditions when possible with hip preservation. Other procedures to restore cartilage also are offered.
