What is hip preservation?

Hip issues are often thought of as an older person's problem. But the truth is, hip issues can be present at birth. While some of these conditions are caught and corrected early, not all are. Experts at Mayo Clinic are specializing in treating those who slip through early diagnosis.

Hip dysplasia is a condition where the ball and socket of the joint don't fit together quite right. This can lead to joint instability, bone and cartilage damage, early arthritis, and a lot of pain.

"There was always that tradition for pediatric hip surgery for young children. And there's always the field of hip replacement surgery for elder patients. And with hip preservation, we're kind of bridging that gap," says Dr. Emmanouil Grigoriou, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon.

The goal, he adds, is "to allow patients to retain their own hip joint, their own cartilage, without any limitations or restrictions after surgery, enjoy years and years with their own native hip, and potentially even eliminate the need for any future hip replacement surgery."

Hip preservation surgery isn't for everyone, and outcomes are better when problems are diagnosed early when less arthritis is present. But for the right candidate, "we can take a patient from a fairly debilitating, painful state, to just giving their life back and their ability to be active and enjoy what they love," says Dr. Grigoriou.

Tribune News Service