Why does my mom’s artificial hip joint pop out of place when she bends over to tie her shoes?
Total hip replacement surgery for painful hip arthritis is one of the most successful procedures ever devised, yet dislocation of the new ball out of its socket is one of the more common complications after surgery. When the surgery is done through a posterior incision (through the buttock to the back of the hip joint), the new joint is inherently unstable and more prone to dislocation, especially if one moves the leg in certain prohibited positions. Less invasive posterior incisions are even more risky, as correctly positioning the new hip socket through the small posterior incision, one key to avoiding dislocation, is more difficult due to poor visibility of the socket area.

Anterolateral hip surgery, reaching the front of the joint through an incision near the side of the hip, is inherently more stable, with no need for post-operative activity restrictions or for a “wedge pillow” between the legs after surgery. Minimally invasive anterolateral hip surgery retains the inherent stability of the anterior approach and allows much better visibility of the hip socket, making it easier to put the new socket in its correct position. I have used the anterolateral method for more than 20 years. In select patients I have added the precision of computer navigation to further optimize the position of the hip implants to make dislocation of the new joint a thing of the past.