Dr Manuj Waswa
Lifestyle in the young and active is very different from the geriatric population . In the young, active life flexibility and durability are the main demands whether for sports, recreation or managing daily chores of life. These activities demand much higher degrees of pressure to the joints. Modern Total Hip Arthoplasty is now able to address this very demand for a high range of movement with high stability via the Large Head monobloc ceramic Hips- ‘Delta motion’
Arthritis is one of the leading and severely debilitating disease conditions that exist in India today. Currently there are 5 million arthritis suffers in our country. The ironical state is that the younger arthritic population is vertically on the increase. The reasons can be rheumatoid arthritis, AVN (damaged blood supply to hip), osteoarthritis, pre-existing trauma or recent hip fractures. The life of an arthritis sufferer comes to a painful standstill. Normal household and social activities become a burden.
When medication, physical therapy and other conservative methods of treatment no longer relieve pain, Total Hip Replacement is recommended by surgeons.
Joint Replacement has to a great degree helped to manage this disease- restoring the joys of motion to many of these sufferers. They are now able to lead a normal pain-free life.
However today for the modern patient just a normal restoration of basic activities is not enough. Why not get back to playing active sports? Or go for a morning jog? Or sit on the floor and play with the children or do puja or namaz? And especially walking up and down several kilometers just for daily living in the hills. After all these are the activities that bring about the true joy of living.
With the growing demands, technology is also trying to keep abreast providing best possible results. In India, the skeletal structure is generally smaller than the western countries; however the demand for high flexion activities like using the Indian toilet, sitting on the floor for religious activities etc. is significantly higher. What this mean there is a demand of a high range of movement along with high stability and ability to withstand joint stress in the smaller Indian anatomies.
Now the latest innovation in technology in Total Hip Replacement addresses these very demands of the modern Indian patient- The “Delta Motion”- world’s first and only large head ceramic on ceramic cup technology leading to higher range of motion and greater stability with longevity.
The Delta Motion ceramic technology offers much lower wear than metal on metal or poly components- meaning longer lasting and avoiding debris that can be harmful to the body. Lots of concerns over metal ions having carcinogenic properties, not suitable for young pregnant women, metal ions causing allergies etc have come up worldwide in recent times- ceramics don’t have this issue.
The material used is “Delta” ceramic which is the new generation advanced ceramic technology and is upto 30 times as hard as the previous ones, overcoming concerns of cracking or fracture or breakage of the ceramic.
These high tech hips done today are Minimally invasive through just 3 to 4 inches skin cuts, so minimal pain and a very fast rehabilitation.
The demand today is for an implant that could last a life time to avoid revision surgery- a well implanted Delta Motion with a well implanted stem could potentially deliver that without compromising on range of motion and stability.
It is indeed the Hip for the Lifetime!
( The author is Director & Head Deptt. of Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement Fortis Hospital Mohali)
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