It is important to know about a joint replacement surgery before discussing about various types of hip replacement implants. A joint replacement surgery becomes mandatory for a patient when he fails to make good responses for initial joint pain medication and exercises for remedies. Also, it is the final selection made for a surgery when he can not move his joints and feels unbearable pain in spite of necessary medication. When the damaged joint does not respond for any medicine and medical treatment then a joint replacement surgery is finalized to perform on a particular part of a patient’s body, for example, hip joint replacement surgery. The severe damage of joint, muscles, tissues, surrounding areas and bones will lead to this type of surgery in a hip where artificial hip joints or hip bone surfaces are implanted by expert surgeons. However, the final decision for this type of surgical intervention often comes as the last resort.

Types of Hip Replacement Implants

When the final decision is made by the doctors and the surgeons for a hip joint implant then an operation has been performed on the affected area of a patient’s body. Here, different types of hip joint implants may be done by expert medical practitioners in various ways. The damaged joint of a hip and may be the joint bone surface which is not working is removed, replaced and a novel cum artificial hip joint is implanted. This entire process is not easy for doctors but at present days it is possible to perform successfully with the help of advanced medical technologies. 

Different material types of artificial hip joint implants:

• Plastic (polyethylene) hip joint implants – the artificial parts which are used for replacement surgery are made from premium quality and specific plastic materials.
• Metal or ceramic hip joint implants – the replacement parts are made of metals or ceramic materials which are specifically need for medical science equipment for surgical uses.  

A patient may be selected for a host of combinations made from these two above-mentioned material types. Surgeons may combine these hip joint implant parts in various ways to provide a fruitful result in favor of the patient. For example, following diverse combination types of artificial hip joint replacement implants are used for patients:

• Metal-on-plastic: this is the most popularly used combination for hip joint implants. Here, a metal made ball like part is used with a plastic socket in such a manner that they both can provide the hip joint to move like the original one.
• Ceramic-on-plastic: If the patient is young enough to live an active life then this combination is suitable for him to go through. Normally, when young people meet accidents and their hip joints are damaged then this non-natural hip joint implant blend is used. Here, a ceramic ball is implanted with a plastic socket.
• Ceramic-on-ceramic: This combination is also used for patients with younger age group where both parts, the artificial ball and the socket are made of ceramic. This is done to those patients who are already living an active or busy life but lost their original hip joint due to some unavoidable problems and for mishaps.
• Metal-on-metal: Surgeons seldom go for this combination and this is again not suitable for aged people with hip joint problems. Here, the combination is furnished by implanting a metal socket along with a metal ball – especially meant for young people with sudden damage of hip joints. 

Whatever the combination is used by surgeons, the ultimate aim of these hip joint implants is to reduce the unbearable joint pain from the hip of a patient. Yet, to get back the normal status life before it may require time to wait, physiotherapy to follow and careful instructions to practice under experienced doctors.

Dr L Tomar is a Joint Replacement Surgeon in Delhi having immense expertise in Minimally Invasive Joint Replacement Surgery using Computer Navigation Technology. Computer Navigation Technology is latest advancement making for joint replacements more safe, reliable, precise & sustainable. Dr L Tomar has performed more than 5,000 successful joints surgeries.