Hip preservation is an emerging orthopaedic field and CU Orthopaedics provides this cutting edge care to our patients. The hip preservation clinic is a combined service between our joint surgeons and our pediatric orthopaedists with one goal: Provide alternative solutions to joint replacement for people under 30. The hip preservation clinic provides our younger patients the latest in surgical techniques to preserve their hip.

Pre-existing, common maladies and deformity of the hip joint occur early in childhood and often continue into adulthood. The resulting natural history is degeneration of the cartilage and soft tissue in the hip, also known as Degenerative Joint Disease, or Osteoarthritis. Recent advances in hip surgery technique have been developed, allowing this degenerative process to be stopped or dramatically slowed. Procedures such as pelvic and femoral osteotomy, as well as open hip joint debridement can affect positive changes in such hip conditions, and possibly prevent the need for future Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Acetabular and Femoral Osteotomy

Various conditions of the hip, such as Developmental Dysplasia, result in abnormal biomechanics and inevitable degenerative joint dysfunction. For individuals that continue to suffer from these conditions in late childhood and into adult years, an acetabular or proximal femoral osteotomy can restore a more normal anatomic relationship in the hip joint, thus avoiding joint replacement or fusion at a young age.

Surgical Hip Dislocation/Subluxation

Conditions of the hip that are either congenital or occur during childhood commonly result in abnormal femoral relationship with the pelvis. This mechanical phenomenon, known as Acetabular Impingement, is common and results in pain and loss of motion in the hip joint, and eventual osteoarthritis. Through a limited open surgical technique, abnormal femoral and acetabular bone relationships can be corrected and previously damaged tissue can be repaired or removed before it progresses to Degenerative Joint Arthritis.

Diagnosis of these and other hip disorders and treatment by means of hip osteotomy and open surgical dislocation are available through the University of Colorado Denver Department of Orthopaedics and performed at The Children’s Hospital as well as The University of Colorado Hospital.