What are the advantages of the resurfacing total hip replacement ?
The greatest advantage to the resurfacing hip replacement is the preservation of the patient’s bone. By maintaining as much bone as possible in the femoral neck, there is a potential for the bone to continue to be loaded mechanically. This is theorized to lead to increase mineralization in the bone and avoid a complication known as “stress shielding” where the bone that is bypassed with a metal implant is not loaded and can ultimately lose its mineralization as seen by radiographs. Additionally, in the young patient, preservation of the bone can provide increased options in the future in the event of implant failure over the years or in case of trauma.
