What are some of the situations that require hip revision surgery?

• Component failure- The most common reason for hip implant failure is the wearing down of the plastic insert in the hip socket. In some other cases, the hip implant may shift slightly after surgery leading to unbalanced weight distribution and premature implant failure. Depending on the the kind of failure and the extent of the wear, only the plastic component or the entire implant together with the metal components will be replaced.

Osteolysis- The wearing down of the plastic component leaves tiny plastic particles in your body that are attacked by your body’s immune system, and this immune response also attacks the healthy bone around your implant. This leads to a condition called osteolysis, in which the bone in the area around the joint implant softens as it is absorbed by the body, thus making your implant unstable and in need of revision.

Hip Dislocation- Some patients do experience dislocation of the implant after surgery. In approximately half of these cases, your physician may be able to put your hip implant back in place without surgery. However, if your surgeon determines the implant was damaged, certain components of the ball-and-socket joint may need to be replaced in a revision procedure.

Fracture- If the bone next to your primary implant is fractured in an accident, revision surgery may be required in order to provide a safe, stable joint. In this case, the original implant may need to be removed, the fracture addressed and a revision joint implanted.

Infection- In a low percentage of cases, your hip may become infected after surgery. Although it may be successfully treated with antibiotics, there are severe cases where a follow-up revision surgery may be required.

Asceptic loosening- Aseptic loosening occurs when the hip implants become loose within the bone. A loose hip implant tends to be painful, and usually requires revision hip replacement. Reconstruction is possible through different methods including cemented or cementless components, with or without bone grafting, and the use of additional metalware such as screws, plates and cages to reinforce fixation.