A dislocation is a term used for the slippage of one bone away from the other in a joint. Dislocation of the total hip replacement refers to the slippage of the ball out of the socket. When this occurs, the patient develops a sudden pain in the hip and loses the use of the leg. He or she is unable to put any weight on it and needs to attend hospital straightaway where, under an anaesthetic, the hip joint can usually be put back (reduced).
Unfortunately, there are times when the dislocation becomes recurrent and occurs
more and more easily. The most common problems causing this to happen are:
Malalignment of the hip replacement components
Insufficient soft tissue tension to hold the components together
Impingement from bone or one component against the other.
Corrective surgery is necessary when the dislocations become recurrent. The most important factor in determining the success of the surgery in preventing further dislocations is the correct identification of the underlying problem causing the dislocations in the first place.
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