HOUSTON, Texas (Ivanhoe Newswire) —It’s a new method of hip surgery which is getting patients up and walking the same day. Conformis hip surgery utilizes a patient-specific 3D design which is then sent to engineers and molded from titanium alloy. For some patients in the past, ‘off the shelf’ hips were not always an exact fit, and sometimes caused painful dislocation, unlike this high-tech hip option.
Both of Ralph Dizzine’s hips wore out last fall.
He couldn’t put his shoes and socks on, much less tend to his 50 acres of land.
“I wouldn’t climb up on farm equipment, I had a problem getting off of farm equipment, or off a four-wheeler,” Ralph Dizzine shared with Ivanhoe.
It was clear that Ralph needed two new hips.
Ralph opted for the new 3D surgery because traditional hip replacement had long used, ‘off the shelf’ hip joints.
Terry Clyburn, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Houston Methodist Hospital illustrated, “It would be like going to a shoe store that had only four or five sizes of shoes.”
If the replacement hip is a few millimeters off, it can lead to a complication called dislocation.
So, Dr. Clyburn recommended that Ralph undergo the new 3D hip surgery.
“You can actually produce a three-dimensional computer model of the hip and you can see it from all directions. Then, you can see exactly what you need to do to make that hip perfect,” Dr. Clyburn explained.
The 3D computer imaging and production of the replacement hip come with guides.
“The devices that guide us to put them in properly, help us to put them in exactly the way they need to be put in, to get a good result,” Dr. Clyburn elaborated.
Ralph had both hips replaced in a morning surgery and by that afternoon…
“I was able to get up and I was able to climb stairs, walk downstairs, walk 2-3,000 feet without the aid of a cane,” Dizzine recalled.
Each year in the United States there are 300,000 hip surgeries because these large joints wear out, causing pain and frequently limping.
Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Executive Producer; Donna Parker, Field Producer; Bruce Maniscalo, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: 3D HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY
REPORT: MB #4742
BACKGROUND: Hip arthroplasty, or hip replacement, is a common procedure in orthopedic surgery that involves removing damaged parts of the hip joint and replacing them with a prosthetic usually made of metal, ceramic, or really hard plastic. This surgery is usually done to combat pain and restore functions to the joint that may have been lost. This is usually caused by osteoarthritis, wear-and-tear, rheumatoid arthritis, an overactive immune system and inflammation, or osteonecrosis, which occurs when the hip isn’t getting enough blood supply. Indicators for hip replacements may include pain– even when on medication, difficulty walking, sleeping, getting dressed, going downstairs, or standing up.
(Source: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hip-replacement/about/pac-20385042 )
PAST TECHNIQUES: In the 1970s, hip replacement options were limited to very few sizes. Surgeons would grind down patients’ bones to fit the premade prosthetics. These were based on average weight, height, and gender. While this was often effective at treating the problem, patients typically had long recoveries and numerous follow-ups. It is far more obvious today that there is an extremely wide variety of bodies in an endless number of shapes and sizes. Surgeons currently are doing more to account for the nuances of each patient’s personal anatomy.
(Source: https://www.hss.edu/conditions_total-knee-replacement-one-size-does-not-fit-all.asp )
NEW TECHNOLOGY: While major advancements have been made in 3D modeling of hips, imaging of patients’ bone structure, and the variety of prosthetic sizes, the most surprising advancement might be the benefit of customized tools. Surgeons not only need the prosthetic to match up to the patient’s personal anatomy but also need to place it in the exact right position to optimize the outcome. This, however, requires tools that until recently, surgeons did not have. 3D printed guides based on the patient’s actual anatomy now allow doctors to place the hip as perfectly as it is modeled on the computer. So not only is 3D modeling and printing changing the way we customize prosthetics but the way we customize the tools to optimize those prosthetics.
(Source: Terry Allen Clyburn, MD, Orthopedic Surgeon, Houston Methodist Hospital)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
ASHLEY WHITE
(832) 652-1173
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