Doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Nagpur successfully performed a rare and complex primary hip replacement surgery on a 32-year-old patient post a road traffic accident. A team of doctors, led by Dr. Manoj Pahukar, the Director of Joint Replacement & Orthopaedics at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Nagpur, helps the man walk again.
The 32-year-old patient was brought to the hospital after sustaining severe trauma that caused a complex fracture-dislocation of the acetabulum, the cup-shaped cavity in the hip bone that houses the femoral head. The severity of the injury posed a significant challenge, as the dislocated joint and fragmented bone structures required careful realignment and stabilisation.
Given the patient’s young age and the fracture’s complexity, Dr. Pahukar and his team after patient counselling opted for a single-stage solution as a primary hip replacement with acetabulum fixation. “This procedure replaces the damaged joint with an artificial one as a choice for this case.
What made this surgery particularly challenging was the need to accurately reconstruct the acetabulum while ensuring the proper placement of the prosthetic components, all while preserving as much of the natural bone and surrounding tissues as possible. Primary hip replacement in such cases is rarely attempted where conventional fixation was done which has high failure rates.
This is an intricate surgery which is rarely attempted due to the complexities in the decision-making of such cases,” Earlier, for patients in similar situations, reconstruction of fractures was done but would have poor outcomes and most would need revision hip surgery. Explaining Further, Dr Pahukar said, “The acetabulum was severely damaged, and the fracture was complicated by the dislocation, making it difficult to achieve the necessary stability and alignment for a successful hip replacement. However, with careful planning and the use of advanced surgical techniques, we were able to reconstruct the acetabulum and replace the hip joint effectively.”
Within weeks of the surgery, the patient was able to begin walking with assistance and is now on the path to a full recovery with painless ambulation without any support. The patient’s recovery and the overall success of the procedure offers hope for others facing similar challenges, reaffirming Max Super Speciality Hospital, Nagpur’s reputation as a leading centre for advanced orthopaedic care.