The Harmonious Hip: Cool Runnings

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Cool Runnings

Running. A concept I have only just recently embraced. Albeit...slooooowly. But I can do it, by golly! Moving is still painful and hips get quite stiff. Still busting out the ice packs everyday, but I'm movin and groovin, y'all! I even ran a little 1 mile race earlier this month...a little family "fun run". My daughter and I took that mile and DOMINATED! Okay, that's a lie. She dominated and I brought up the rear. But I ran the whole thing!!! She went ahead of me and was at the finish cheering me on. I've never run an entire mile non-stop in my whole life! And I did it!!! Next up, tackle the infamous 5K! I've already signed up for a race in September (the color run "Run Or Dye") and my goal is to run the whole thing....no walking. Lily and I may do another 5K before then, we'll see if the ol' hips can take it. She's hooked now. The run bug has bit, and she's itching to do a 5K! So darn proud of her!! Even Big Daddy is taking about starting to run again! He just wants a cool medal like us girls! ;-)

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What is Hip Dysplasia?

You may hear about babies or pets with hip dysplasia, but it can affect adults, especially young women. Hip dysplasia is an abnormal condition affecting the hip socket, oracetabulum, and the thighbone, or femur. In someone with hip dysplasia, the hip socket is too shallow, or the femur is in the wrong place. Doctors check for hip dysplasia in babies before sending them home from the hospital -- it's an easily treatable condition in newborns. But if hip dysplasia isn't detected and corrected at an early age, the health of the hip will deteriorate over time because of its misalignment. Depending on the severity of the situation, this could result in pain, osteoarthritis, difficulty walking or an inability to walk. It can also contribute to a marked deterioration in a person's basic quality of life. It's not just dogs and babies, y'all!

Periacetabular Osteotomy (or PAO)

PAO: The Mother of All Hip Surgeries... A procedure that cuts the hip socket out of the pelvis to allow the socket to be repositioned and then screwed back into place. This allows the ball & socket to move fluidly, preventing further cartilage damage and preserving the joint in patients with faulty hips. The PAO preserves and enhances the patient's own hip, NOT replacing it with artificial parts like a hip replacement. The hip may still develop arthritis over time, even when the operation is successful. However, PAO is still the preferred treatment in young adults to postpone the need for hip replacement as long as possible.