HOPE AFTER HIP REPLACEMENT

During her lengthy career as a preschool teacher and early childhood educator, Terry Fierle, 67, was surrounded by toddlers. She never tired of watching them expand their worlds as they learned how to walk—charmed by their shuffling wide-legged steps and determined, but unsteady, progress across a room.
 

As she approached her mid-sixties, however, Terry found herself struggling to walk even a short distance. Osteoarthritis, a common condition among people over age 50, had broken down the cartilage in her left hip, and she found herself limping to mediate the pain of bone grinding against bone.

After regular visits with her primary care doctor, Mitchell Watanabe, M.D., F.A.A.F.P., with MemorialCare Medical Group, she consulted with Anatol Podolsky, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, who ordered a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of her hip, and upon seeing the results, recommended a total hip replacement.

Uncertain about the idea of surgery and unwilling to spend time away from her beloved kids at school, Terry spent the next four years medicating with anti-inflammatories and a daily dose of water aerobics. By the time she retired in June 2016, Terry was exhausted by the constant pain and was ready for surgery. Dr. Podolsky performed her hip replacement surgery that fall.

“Aside from my hip, I was in really good health. Even during short, and what should have been comfortable walks, I limped in pain,” says Terry.

MECHANICAL MARVEL
The hip is a weight-bearing, ball-and-socket joint that connects the femur (thigh bone) to the pelvis. To allow the leg to swing, bend and rotate freely, the spherical head of the femur fits neatly into the cup-shaped socket of the pelvis and the adjoining surfaces of the bones are coated with cartilage, a smooth, slippery padding that allows them to glide without friction. The joint is stabilized by a tough, fibrous capsule made of ligaments and maneuvered by four main groups of muscles. 

Despite the joint’s complexity, advanced surgical techniques, along with the prosthetic’s long-lasting materials and precise engineering, have made hip joint replacements a relatively common procedure – with 96 percent patient satisfaction.

“Pre-planning is critical to every successful outcome,” says Timothy Gibson, M.D., medical director of the Joint Replacement Center at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center. “Patients have different degrees of flexibility in their hips and minor variations in pelvic structure that may ultimately affect the outcome. I take X-rays, measure carefully and determine the ideal joint position before my patient is on the table.”

The length of a patient’s recovery depends on age and pre-existing conditions, as well as the approach that the surgeon takes. In Terry’s case, a posterior (back) approach was taken, with repair of the posterior capsule to reduce the risk of future dislocation. Patients typically recover more quickly and, in many cases, are walking without any means of support within 10 days.