Mini-Incision Hip Replacement

Ceramic on Ceramic Hip Replacement

Metal on Metal Hip Replacement

Surface Replacement
& BHR Technology

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HIP APPROACHES

This site is brought to you by Dr. Herbert D. Huddleston, a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon in Los Angeles who specializes in Hip and Knee Replacement. Dr. Huddleston has performed more than six thousand hip replacements, and five thousand knee replacements. There are very few surgeons in the world who can match this experience. More About Dr. Huddleston
The Hip and Knee Institute

HIP ARTHRITIS INFO

Anatomy of the Hip
Introduction to Hip Disease
Total Hip Replacement
Mini-Incision Hip Replacement
Implant Materials
Ceramic on Ceramic
Metal on Metal
Surface Replacement
Post-Operative Care
Revision Hip Surgery
More Hip Topics

The hip joint is a “ball and socket” joint. The upper end of the femur is formed into a round ball (the “head” of the femur). A cavity in the pelvic bone forms the socket (acetabulum). The head of the femur and the socket are covered with a layer of smooth cartilage which cushions the joint, and allows the bones to move on each other with very little friction.

An x-ray of the hip joint usually shows a “space” between the ball and the socket because the cartilage does not show up on x-rays. In the normal hip this “joint space” is approximately 1/4 inch wide and fairly even in outline.

The knee is a "hinge" joint which is formed by the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). The knee cap (patella) also forms part of the knee joint. The moving parts of a normal knee are covered with a layer of articular cartilage.

The term “arthritis” literally means inflammation of a joint, but is generally used to describe any condition in which there is damage to the cartilage. In a total knee replacement, this damaged cartilage is removed and replaced with metal and plastic prostheses.

KNEE ARTHRITIS INFO

Anatomy of the Knee
Introduction to Knee Disease
Non-Operative Treatment
Total Knee Replacement
Implant Materials
Blood Transfusion
The Hospital Stay
Post-Operative Care
Revision Knee Surgery
More Knee Topics

Please feel free to browse either the hip or the knee information contained on this site depending on your interest. You can download the entire manual online, or either Arthritis of the Knee Joint or Arthritis of the Hip Joint, which you can browse at your leisure page by page. Or, you may download the manuals as Adobe Acrobat (PDF) files and peruse offline. If you require information beyond what is available on this site, please feel free to contact Dr. Huddleston.

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Dr. H.D. Huddleston
The Hip and Knee Institute
5525 Etiwanda Ave., #324
Tarzana, CA 91356
Tel: 818.708.9090

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