A hip surgeon is an orthopedic surgeon who has undertaken additional, specialized training to become an expert in diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of conditions that affect the hip joint. Their work is dedicated to relieving pain, restoring function, and helping patients return to an active life.
What Conditions Does a Hip Surgeon Treat?
Hip surgeons manage both common and complex disorders of the hip, including:
Osteoarthritis: The most common reason for hip replacement, often referred to as “wear-and-tear” arthritis.
Fractures: Especially fractures of the femoral neck or intertrochanteric region, which are common in older adults with osteoporosis.
Hip Impingement (FAI – Femoroacetabular Impingement): A condition where extra bone grows along one or both bones of the hip joint, causing pain and damaging the joint lining.
Labral Tears: Tears in the ring of cartilage (labrum) that follows the outside rim of the hip joint socket.
Osteonecrosis (Avascular Necrosis): The death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply, which can cause the hip to collapse.
Developmental Conditions: Such as hip dysplasia (a shallow hip socket present from birth) and slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) in adolescents.
Inflammatory Arthritis: Such as rheumatoid arthritis affecting the hip.
Failed Previous Surgery: Including revising or replacing a previous hip replacement that has worn out or failed.
What Surgical Procedures Do They Perform?
Hip surgeons are skilled in a wide array of surgical interventions:
Total Hip Replacement (Arthroplasty): The gold standard for severe arthritis, replacing both the ball (femoral head) and the socket (acetabulum) with artificial implants.
Partial Hip Replacement: Often used for certain types of fractures, replacing only the ball portion of the joint.
Hip Arthroscopy: A minimally invasive “keyhole” surgery using a small camera. It’s used to diagnose and treat problems like FAI, labral tears, and remove loose bodies.
Hip Preservation Surgery: Procedures like periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) to correct hip dysplasia in younger patients and prevent early arthritis.
Revision Hip Surgery: Highly complex operations to remove and replace a failed previous hip replacement.
Fracture Repair: Using plates, screws, and rods to fix broken bones around the hip.
The Hip Surgery Fellowship: Path to Expertise
Becoming a hip specialist requires completing a Hip Surgery Fellowship—an intensive, one-to two-year training program after a five-year orthopedic surgery residency.
What Does a Fellow Learn?
Advanced Surgical Techniques: Fellows gain mastery in the latest approaches, including:
Anterior Approach Hip Replacement: A muscle-sparing technique that can lead to less pain and a faster recovery.
Minimally Invasive and Robotic-Assisted Surgery: For unparalleled precision in implant placement.
Complex Arthroscopic Repair: For intricate repairs of the labrum and cartilage.
Complex Case Management: They learn to handle the most challenging cases, from severe bone loss in revision surgery to complex deformities.
Comprehensive Patient Care: Training includes perfecting non-surgical options like targeted injections (cortisone, hyaluronic acid) and designing personalized rehabilitation protocols.
Research and Innovation: Fellows contribute to the field by conducting research on new implants, surgical techniques, and patient outcomes.
The Goal of the Fellowship
This super-specialized training transforms a general orthopedist into a hip expert who can:
Offer patients the full range of treatment options, from simple to highly complex.
Perform surgery with the highest level of skill and precision.
Become a leader in an academic medical center or a referral destination for other surgeons facing difficult hip cases.
In short, a fellowship-trained hip surgeon possesses the deepest knowledge and most refined skills to provide the best possible care for a failing hip joint.
