Conservative hip replacement surgery

Abstract

Conservative hip replacement surgeries aim to restore function and alleviate pain while specifically targeting the pathology zone affecting the joint surface. By preserving bone stock, the surgeon allows for less difficult revision surgery in the future. Ease of future surgery is most pertinent in the young and active patient population with osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Recent literature has focused on three different conservative arthroplasty techniques: surface replacement, partial surface replacement, and short-stemmed cementless conservative femoral design. Short-term results for these procedures are encouraging and indicate that they represent a viable alternative to conventional total hip arthroplasty in carefully selected patients. Long-term results are required before any definitive recommendations can be made.