Hip Surgery Research Wins Top Prize at International Sports Medicine Conference
Research showing excellent results following hip surgery undertaken by orthopaedic hip surgeon, Mr. Patrick Carton, has won best podium presentation, at an international sports medicine conference in the U.K. last week.
The research was conducted by Dr. Karen Mullins PhD and Dr. David Filan PhD, based at UPMC Whitfield Hospital, Waterford. Their work has expanded the understanding of hip problems for general populations and athletes, with the dissemination of information on an international level.
The presentation described the positive effects of keyhole surgery for chronic hip injury, common in young athletes, but also observed across the wider population.
Hip impingement is a mechanical issue caused by a build-up of bone on the ball and socket components of the hip joint. As these bony prominences become bigger, the repetitive contact as the hip moves results in associated labral tears and damage to the cartilage, potentially increasing the risk of osteoarthritis. Patients often describe activity related stiffness in the hips, clicking, catching, stabbing groin pain, and persistent ache around the hip and lower back.
Sometimes patients have symptoms from both hip impingement and hip dysplasia, whereby the socket of the hip joint is too shallow, and this causes further complications. Unfortunately, many of these patients would eventually require either a total hip replacement or another invasive procedure known as a peri-acetabular osteotomy (PAO) (which involves surgically breaking the pelvis and re-orientating the hip socket). In contrast, the advanced surgical treatment conducted by Mr. Patrick Carton at UPMC Whitfield Hospital is a much less invasive treatment option which removes the problematic bone and repairs the tissue within the joint while preserving hip stability.
The results of this study, which were presented by Dr. Karen Mullins PhD, at the British Association for Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM), in Manchester, reported that at 10 years following their surgery 90% of the patients did not require a total hip replacement or PAO. Highly significant improvements in pain and function in activities of daily living and physical activity engagement were also seen and over 80% of patients were satisfied with their outcome.
Speaking about the work of his team at UPMC Whifield Hospital, Mr. Carton explained, “My team and I have been developing and researching arthroscopic (keyhole) surgical techniques for over 15 years to help both patients and athletes maintain their activity level, improve their symptoms and most importantly, avoid much more invasive surgery, such as total hip replacement. Hip preservation techniques are proving to be successful for an increasing number of hip conditions including patients suffering with hip arthritis.”