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Pros & Cons of Hip Subluxation Surgery

The decision to have hip subluxation surgery or not really depends on several things. One of these would be the severity of the injury and whether it involves damage to tissue and nerves. Another consideration is the ability of the joint to heal without surgery. Therefore, the pros and cons of each situation must be weighed individually.

  1. Hip Subluxation

    • Hip subluxation is another term for hip dislocation. Dislocation of the hip occurs when the femoral head (a ball located at the top of the thighbone) is not sitting as it should inside the acetabulum (hip joint socket)---or it isn't sitting in it at all. In addition, the ligaments around the joint may also be affected; they may be stretched or loose.

    Treatment

    • Dislocation of a joint can be painful---and they can occur in both the small joints (fingers, toes) as well as the larger joints (hips, shoulders). With proper treatment, along with weeks of rehabilitation and rest, dislocated joints often begin to function normally again, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, some joint dislocations require surgical treatment to perform correctly again.

    Pros

    • If the hip dislocation is not able to be medically manipulated back into the socket---or if tissue or nerve damage has occurred---than surgery can return a limb back to functioning capability, according to the Mayo Clinic.

      Surgery can also reduce any additional damage to the joint and surrounding nerves and tissues that might occur in the absence of such treatment. And surgery can alleviate any continuing pain being experienced. In addition, if hip joint dislocation is becoming a common problem for an individual, surgery can help to eliminate such recurrences.

    Cons

    • As with any type of surgery, risks are present for hip subluxation surgery. If the dislocated hip is due to an injury (especially athletic ones), it is likely that tissue and nerves may have been damaged as well; therefore, during the course of repairing these items damage may also occur to other nerves or tissue. This is especially true for surgical procedures like arthroscopic surgery, where tiny incisions and instruments are used in lieu of open surgery.

      When sewing torn tissue back together---or repairing nerves---necessary cutting or stitching may result in infection or excessive bleeding, which can also be a drawback for surgery of a dislocated hip. In addition, there is always the risk of death due to any major surgery that requires the use of anesthesia.

    Considerations

    • If the hip dislocation is not addressed promptly and successfully by manipulation, rest or surgery, avascular necrosis can occur. This is a condition in which some type of bone trauma (dislocation or fracture) has occurred and blood vessels were also damaged, thus preventing nutrients and oxygen from reaching the area---killing the bone cells.

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