If you've been diagnosed with arthritis in your hip, you know how difficult it can be to get around. Of course, some days are better than others, but in many cases, your pain levels and your mobility may be directly affected by weather conditions. Soon rather than later, you may become home bound. Formerly active adults and seniors find themselves sidelined, watching the world go by. However, you don't have to sit on the sidelines forever. Hip resurfacing and hip replacement are viable options for most individuals, and can be extremely accessible and affordable.

Benefiting From Hip Resurfacing
Any individual diagnosed with hip arthritis, and that goes for the young and middle aged as well as seniors, can benefit from hip resurfacing, a procedure that preserves the bone at the head or upper end of the femur or thighbone. The surface of the head of the femur is carefully shaved and sculpted into a stump-like formation, but not detached, as is the case of a full hip replacement.

For hip resurfacing, a cap-shaped like a metal ball is placed over the stump of the femur head and fastened into place with special bone cement. Cartilage on the hip side of the joint is shaved or removed and replaced with a metal shell to receive the new ball socket of the femur head. Hip resurfacing can reduce pain and encourage more active lifestyles in individuals 60 years old or younger.

Total hip replacement is a very effective procedure and remedy for seniors or the elderly diagnosed with arthritis of the hip. A hip replacement removes the upper ball end of the thighbone or femur and replaces it with metal ball-type joint end. A metal, inverted cup-like structure is inserted into the hipbone.

The new ball at the upper end of the femur and the new socket implanted into the hipbone offer a new joint offering greater stability, increased range of motion and reduction of pain. Hip replacements are generally recommended to those over 65 years of age and who aren't extremely physically active.

Hip Replacement Implants
A number of newer technologies and materials have created longer-lasting and more stabilized hip joint implants. The most commonly used materials today include:

• Metal on metal
• Ceramic on metal (ceramic materials include aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide)
• Ceramic on polyethylene
• Ceramic on ceramic
• Cobalt/chromium based alloys

Implants used for hip replacements today are incredibly lightweight, weighing between 14 and 18 oz. Materials used in total hip replacements today are biocompatible and extremely resistant to wear and corrosion. Best of all, joint implants today are designed to duplicate the functions and structures they're replacing, enabling them to perform weight-bearing activities, offer flexion in order to function and bear stress without damage or breakage. Parts are made to move smoothly against each other without friction, pain or damage.

Life after Hip Resurfacing and Hip Replacement
Individuals of any age might be pleased to know that, in most cases, you can return to a fully active lifestyle and sporting activities after a hip resurfacing procedure, as hip resurfacing is considered a less dramatic procedure than a full or total hip replacement.

"Hip replacements have an 80% chance of lasting at least 20 years," says Dr. A. K. Venkatachalam, world-renowned orthopedic surgeon and founder of the Madras Joint Replacement Center in Chennai, India. Dr.Venkatachalam is well known throughout India and the UK as one of the finest specialists in joint replacements and orthopedic surgery. "Dr. Venkatachalam and the Madras Joint Replacement Center offer patients from around the world the finest in compassionate, patient-centered care," says Pramod Goel, CEO and founder of PlacidWay, a growing medical provider based in Denver, Colorado. "Our goal is to offer access for domestic and international patients to the best in options and choices when it comes to their orthopedic care, and Madras is one of the best."

Please click here to request additional information from Dr. Venkatachalam.