Technology enables bed-ridden patient to walk again

The memory of that fateful day two years ago still haunts Mohamed Ahmed Dhoodi, 55, when he had got his hip fractured in an unfortunate fall. Dhoodisought treatment in his native Middle Eastern country but his condition only grew worse and he ended up spending nearly 18 month as a bedridden patient.

He underwent surgery for fractured neck of the left femur seven months ago but that did not do him any good as no ambulation (movement) could be attempted. The patient’s condition was evaluated a month after surgery it showed a dislocated left bipolar. A second surgery was performed on his left hip with implant exchange. But the patient was still unable to walk.

Sadly, the second prosthesis was also found to be dislocated. That was when he came to India and consulted Dr NitishBhan, Orthopaedic Surgeon at the ContinentalHospital, Hyderabad. “When he was presented to us, he was unable to move due to left dislocated hip with bipolar in situ with 6CM shortening and rotation of the left ll. Seeing his condition, we recommended him hip replacement surgery and he was ready at once as he wanted pain relief and to regain his mobility,” recalls Dr NitishBhan.

After examining the condition of the patient, Dr Bhan decided to replace the severely fractured and dislocated hip joint using MDM X3, the modular mobile bearing hip system. It is a painless hip replacement technique that effectively relives pain, ensures stability and improves the range of motions for patients suffering from any type of hip joint disorder. It is specifically designed to increase versatility to help orthopaedic surgeons address the wide range of reconstructive challenges that they may face while repairing dislocated or damaged hip joints.

“Dhoodi’s case was a challenge to us as two previous surgeries had already failed. With a dislocated joint in situ, he was bed-bound and in terrible pain; thankfully he was not suffering from any co-morbidities. The new Dual Mobility hip replacement system has come up as a new lease of life to such patients. This system allows us to replace the fractured hip with a stable painless hip. In addition to other technical advantages, the Mobile Bearing Hip System with X3 precisely engineered polyethylene helps minimise the risk of wear and tear and consequently helps prolong the life of the implant,” says Dr NitishBhan.

The new Dual Mobility hip replacement system with screws utilises twin articulations enhancing a range of motions. Movement occurs between the head and the high-tech plastic mobile liner(X3). The mobile liner, in turn, moves against a highly polished metal cup which is fixed to the pelvis with screws making it a rigid and stable construct, called Dual Mobility Cup. In the earlier designs, it was not possible to fix the cup to the pelvis, due to which dual mobility hips were highly prone to cup failures.

In the new design, the large plastic head in the Hip System makes the joint extremely stable,which allows the active patients to engage in recreational and sports activities. The large head also allows a greater, more-than-normal range of motions than standard implants do.
“The launch of the Dual Mobility System has significantly improved the prognosis of hip replacement surgery and the quality of life thereafter.

The dual points of articulation help accommodate multi-directional movements that allow potentially a greater range of motions and reduced wear and tear of the artificial joint compared to conventional designs,” adds Dr Bhan. Dhoodi couldn’t have wished for more, when he began walking on the day after the surgery.

He looked satisfied at having been able to get his painful dislocated hip replaced with a stable painless hip. His eyes were glittering with joy as he took his first steps after have remained bed-bound for 18 months. He was also happy to know that he could now get back to his normal daily activities.

“I can’t explain how happy I am feeling today. The past two years had been absolutely miserable. With immense pain, I could not move my body and was bed-bound. I am really grateful to Dr NitishBhan who helped me get back to normal life again,” said an elated Dhoodi as he walked out of the hospital. While the technology brings hope for the people suffering from hip problems, it can be seen as an achievement for India which is offering technologically advanced treatment options for people around the world.