Drilling of hip joint is a simple surgical procedure that doctors resort to in cases of simple erosion of the head of the femur as a result of a lack of blood supply to it. What are the causes of femoral head ischemia? What is the purpose of hip joint drilling? What are the steps for performing the operation?

Ischemia of the femur head

  Ischemia is a weakness in the blood supply to the joint, and it is the main reason for the erosion of the head of the femur and the need for hip drilling. The reason for this may be primary or secondary as a result of the following:

  – Fractures of the femoral neck.

    – Long-term use of cortisone.

  – Sickle cell anemia, which is a hereditary disease in which red blood cells appear abnormally, taking the shape of a sickle or crescent and being more viscous – unlike normal red blood cells, which are flexible and round – sickle blood cells hinder the normal flow of blood in small blood vessels, which leads to Decrease or cessation of blood supply to some parts of the body, including the head of the femur.

    – Immune diseases that affect blood vessels, such as: lupus erythematosus and scleroderma.

Symptoms of ischemia of the femur head

In case of ischemia of the femur head and erosion of its outer surface, the patient feels the following:

     Feeling pain in the joint when walking.

     Lower back pain, which makes symptoms similar to spinal problems.

     Limited movement.

     Feeling pain in the ankle and knee due to stiffness in the movement of the hip joint.

The goal of the hip joint drilling operation

Hip drilling is a surgical procedure that aims to treat degeneration of the hip joint and limit its progression by reducing internal pressure on the head of the femur by removing dead parts of the bone and supporting them with artificial bone for the following:

     – Reducing the pain felt by the patient.

     – Regaining the ability to move.

     – Delaying resorting to installing an artificial joint.

Hip drilling is an effective treatment in the early stages of the disease, where the hip joint head falls no more than 2 mm.

How to perform a hip drilling

Hip drilling is a simple surgical procedure performed under general or regional anesthesia. Its steps are as follows:

     The patient is placed lying on his back on a specific device whose base resembles a horse. The horseshoe protrudes from the middle between the thighs and the patient’s leg is fixed in a specific way.

     Make an incision in the lateral thigh area.

     The operation is performed under radiological imaging so that the doctor can see the internal and external joint tissues.

     Inserting the necessary surgical tools to remove dead tissue and scraping the joint head from the inside to reduce the pressure on the joint. Reducing the pressure also improves the blood supply to the femoral head bone.

     Grafting the joint head with artificial bones, the aim of which is to support the femoral head bone.

Post- Hip drilling

After completing the Hip drilling operation, the patient will remain in the hospital until his health condition is confirmed. The doctor must educate the patient about avoiding walking for at least 6 weeks to avoid a fracture of the neck of the femur.

Dr. Ibrahim Jado Center, Consultant Orthopedic and Artificial Joint Surgery, offers an integrated therapeutic system for the surgical and non-surgical treatment of bone and joint diseases. You can book an appointment through the numbers shown on the website.

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