A woman with a history of chronic dislocation of her right hip after a total hip replacement was referred to the Hip Preservation Program for consultation.  She presented with a displaced acetabular (socket) component, a dislocated hip, and signficant breakdown of the bone of the pelvis where the hip replacement components had been originally placed.

She was having significant pain and it was very difficult for her to walk. 

She had undergone two previous attempts at reconstruction of her hip leaving her with a limited amount of bone for the hip reconstruction.  To determine the amount of bone available for a reconstruction procedure a computer generaged image of her pelvis was obtained.  This allowed the surgeon to understand her pelvic anatomy and best plan the reconstructive procedure.

CT/Computer reconstruction of the bones of the pelvis.This image is from the back of the pelvis so the affected hip is on the right.

The reconstruction was achieved using foam metal to reconstruct the area of the pelvis where the socket of the prosthesis was placed.  The femoral stem and femoral head (ball of the hip joint) was reconstructed using a modular femoral revision component. Some of the muscles of her hip that help stabilize the hip had to be removed to complete the reconstruction.

X-ray following revision of her hip.

She is doing well following the reconstruction. Her pain had decreased significantly and she is using a cane to walk.  She has a limp because of the need to remove some of the muscles during the reconstruction procedure.