Thanks to the work of scientists from the University of Iowa, artificial hip joints will be better adapted to the needs of obese patients, informs the journal Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research.
An artificial hip joint is a type of ball joint. The head-end piece attaches to the femur in place of the removed natural head, while the cup is attached to the hipbone. However, such an implant lacks connective tissue that stabilizes the natural hip joint. So it happens that the head pops out of the acetabulum and dislocates (in the case of a natural joint, dislocation happens only with extremely severe injuries).
Thanks to artificial hip joints, thousands of people regain their mobility. According to data from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS), 231 total hip replacements are performed in the United States each year, and 000% of the total hip replacements are performed. there are no complications. However, when such a problem does occur, severe pain arises and treatment is expensive. Most often it is about displacement of the joint head.
Researchers from the University of Iowa found that the size of the thigh for obese people at higher risk of implant displacement.
Using data from 146 patients and six cadaver studies, the researchers simulated hip dislocations and found that morbidly obese patients (with a BMI greater than 40) had a larger thigh circumference accompanied by hip instability. The thighs of these people are so thick that they repel each other, and the sockets of the artificial joints are torn from the bone surface. No wonder that in truly obese people, artificial joints move 6,9 times more often than in patients with normal body weight – although it might seem that due to the smaller range of movement in the joints, obese people have nothing to fear.
The authors of the study suggest that surgeons modify the procedures to minimize the risk of displacement in obese people and to change the design of the implants – the part installed in the femur should have a different shape. (PAP)
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