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The hip joint
The hip joint is a ball and socket joint which allows the leg to move freely. The ball is the top of the thighbone (femur), which moves inside the hollow socket on the hip bone (pelvis). A layer of cartilage allows the ball to move smoothly in the socket.
When hip replacement is appropriate
When the cartilage is damaged or wears away, movement can become restricted and painful. The condition can be alleviated by hip replacement surgery. More than half a million hip replacement procedures are performed in the United Stated each year. It is appropriate to consult with an orthopedic surgeon about the possibility of hip replacement surgery when:
- Pain makes it difficult or impossible to sleep.
- Medications don't relieve the pain.
- A medication that used to be effective for the pain no longer works.
- Pain makes getting out to shop, visiting friends or taking a vacation difficult or impossible.
- It is difficult to get out of a chair, go up or down stairs, get up from a toilet or get up from the floor.
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