For people with osteoarthritis of the hip which is making everyday life difficult, often the recommended approach is a hip replacement. Some patients, however, can benefit from another option – hip resurfacing.  

At the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing System is used to replace the ball and socket joint that makes up the hip. It is a conservative approach compared to Total Hip Replacement as the surface of the femoral head (the ball) and the acetabulum (socket) are replaced with metal.  

Phil, a freelance Producer based in Manchester, researched his options when his local hospital recommended him for a hip replacement.  “On this occasion, when I was offered a hip replacement I had the confidence to speak up and say this is what I think will be best for me – ultimately it’s me and my life that’s affected here. I’d done a lot of research about hip replacements and found out about hip resurfacing as an alternative. I wanted to be more active and get back into sports and exercise, and with hip resurfacing I would have much greater range of motion to support that and I'd still be in a good position to get a total hip replacement 20-30 years down the line.” 

As his local hospital didn’t carry out the hip resurfacing procedure, he was referred to the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham.  Watch his story below.