Patient
Education
Center

The hip is a true ball-in-socket joint with a wide range of motion which allows us to walk, run, jump, squat, and climb stairs, among other activities. Your hips bear your entire body weight and are in almost constant use. Because the hips are so fundamental to mobility, they are prone to injury and other chronic conditions such as arthritis. Keeping your hips in shape is essential for you to continue leading an active lifestyle, especially as you age.

Direct anterior hip replacement offers an exciting less invasive alternative to traditional techniques used to perform hip arthroplasty. This technique is the only way to access the hip joint that is truly muscle sparing, making it the least invasive of all techniques used to access the hip. The traditional posterior approach requires the surgeon to split the gluteus maximus, which is one of the largest muscles in the lower extremity, and to release several of the short rotators of the hip.

“Sit up straight! Don’t slouch,” scolded mothers and grandmothers for generations, and at dinner tables all across the nation, children’s eyes all rolled together.

It turns out that Mom and Grandma were onto something. Good posture does help portray an image of self-confidence, it looks nice, and it enhances physical performance. You don’t see anyone slouching when you’re watching athletes compete in the Olympics or celebrities walk down the red carpet at the Oscars.

Summer is a great time of year to stretch your legs, pump the tires, and wheel your way down a biking trail. Whether you’re exploring the Meramec or gliding down the Katy Trail, there are plenty of sights and sounds to see on a bike seat this summer.

Long recovery times, risk of infection and the pain associated with large incisions have been mitigated by improvements to modern surgical methods. One such advancement is arthroscopy (pronounced “ahr-THROS-kuh-pee”), which allows for a safer, less invasive option for repairing damaged joints and tissues. The word originates from the Greek “arthro” (join) and “skopein” (to look). As it pertains to the shoulder, arthroscopy allows doctors to understand the extent and severity of an injury or condition without undergoing the risk of invasive surgery.

Rehabilitating from a torn meniscus starts as soon as you’re in the recovery room. The first three to seven days following meniscus surgery are about protecting the affected region from any damage or infection. Many orthopedic specialists will have you on your feet and walking within a day or even hours of the surgery. This encourages blood flow and protects against muscle atrophy as much as possible.