Stabilizing Technique Improves Hip Surgery

A new surgical device could provide an alternative to radical hip replacement surgery for patients suffering from a debilitating hip condition called osteonecrosis (ON).

The Hip Tool bone graft stabilization system (BGSS), manufactured by Orthopedic Sciences (Los Angeles, CA, USA), is a plate-and-
compression screw device specifically designed to stabilize the bone graft packed into the femoral head and neck after core decompression/debridement.

The Hip Tool allows the surgeon to retrieve and retain the antecedent core of bone in the femoral neck. Special instrumentation is used to remove the necrotic bone and the resultant cavity is completely filled with autologous cancellous bone. The retrieved core is returned to the femoral neck in a reverse direction, and the compression screw is advanced into the femoral neck to compress and stabilize the graft within the femoral head. The healthy bone heals as would a simple fracture in the affected area, offering renewed life to the hip. A similar procedure has been developed for the knee, shoulder, and ankle joint.

"Our primary objectives … are relief of pain while preserving the natural joint, maintaining and improving motion of the joint, and completing the surgical procedure through a three-inch or smaller incision,” said Dr. James K. Brannon, assistant professor at the department of orthopedic surgery, University of Missouri School of Medicine (Columbia, Mo, USA), inventor of the Hip Tool, and the founder, president, and CEO of Orthopedic Sciences.

ON is a collection of dead or dying bone cells within a localized region of bone, causing the healthy matrix surrounding the dead bone cells to become brittle. Clinically, ON of the femoral head is characterized by a deep aching pain in the groin that may awaken the patient at night, and as the disease progresses, the femoral head may collapse and limit the range of motion in the hip joint.



Related Links:
Orthopedic Sciences
University of Missouri School of Medicine