For those suffering from hip or knee pain, it had long been thought that before going down the surgical route, steroid injections could provide some relief caused by the discomfort of joint osteoarthritis. New research has been published that challenges this belief, suggesting that cortisone injections could actually be doing more harm than good. Steroid […]
In an interesting new study published by the National Joint Registry (NJR), data has been shared showing a league table of the best- and worst-performing areas of the UK if you are considering an NHS hip replacement. The assessment looked at 430 UK hospitals, comprising 145 NHS trusts running 250 hospitals in the UK, as […]
A hip replacement is an operation that has been carried out for decades. It is a cost-effective procedure, with well-established benefits, in particular, relief of pain and getting people back to normal function. Total hip replacements are being carried out on more and more younger patients, thanks to a variety of factors which have made […]
There has been a significant shift from the NHS to private delivery of hip operations in recent years, which has been the focus of a new study undertaken by researchers from Newcastle University and Queen Mary University of London. The study, which has just been published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, […]
Over 200,000 hip and knee replacements are performed in the UK each year – it is a constantly growing surgical field and the medical tools available now are helping improve the quality of life of a significant proportion of the population. As such, any improvements or developments in how to effectively offer these services have […]
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is the biggest clinical research funder in Europe and has recently published results of a study looking at the effectiveness of a range of prosthetic implants used in patients who have undergone total hip replacement surgery. This research is important because total hip replacements are extensively carried out […]
Fans of tennis will be aware of Andy Murray’s hip struggles over the past few years, and many of us were delighted to see him crowned doubles’ champion at Queens with partner Feliciano Lopez. When asked how he felt about his achievement, he said “I just won the doubles here with Feli with a metal […]
It is no secret that the NHS is overstretched and under-funded, which can lead to painfully long waiting times for operations and in some areas, lack of access to some procedures. This is unlikely to change any time soon. Despite the best efforts of those working in and managing our health service, the supply, demand […]
There has been a lot written recently about the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches to carrying out a total hip replacement. The Bone and Joint Journal published a thorough assessment recently which evaluated “five commonly used surgical approaches with respect to the incidence of surgery-related complications”, the findings of which are helpful […]
One of the first questions patients ask when they are preparing for a hip replacement is how long the recovery takes. Understanding what the hip implant recovery period will be like and how long it will be until you start to reap the benefits of your new joint. Although everyone is different, most patients are […]