HOUSTON – Hip problems are on the rise and so are hip replacements. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of hip replacement procedures has more than doubled.
Doctors are looking for alternatives to this major operation, especially for young, active patients. Now, a newer procedure can ease the pain for some.
Photographer Marie Christine Genero is always looking for the perfect shot. But a few years ago, hip pain prevented her from getting it.
"It was a dull, deep pain in the hip. Since I had that pain, I wasn't going down in the positions that I usually do," Genero said.
She also had to give up many of her favorite activities. "Boxing, circuit training, snowboarding, running, so just a ton of stuff that I love doing," Genaro said.
Genaro had a femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI for short. It happens when bones in the hip change shape and rub together, and is commonly seen in young, active people.
"So the ball and socket kind of change shape in response to repetitive activities and loadings that's going on in the joint," orthopedic surgeon Dr. Shane J. Nho said.
Nho performs a procedure called hip arthroscopy to solve the problem. First, he makes tiny incisions and repairs any damage. Then, he works on the abnormal bone shape.
"Most importantly, we have to shave down the bone so that the ball and socket articulate more smoothly," Nho said.
The surgery only takes about an hour and a half, but the recovery can be six months or more. Nho said because the procedure is newer, the long-term outcomes aren't known. The hope is that arthroscopy can prolong the need for a hip replacement in young patients.
Genero had the procedure about nine months ago, and now she can snap away.
Nho said hip arthroscopy is considered a newer procedure, and not all doctors are trained to perform it. For more information on the surgery, go to hipsforlife.org.
