Radiation Therapy: A Beneficial Treatment for People Who Undergo Total Hip Replacements
Copyright 2007 by Carol L. Kornmehl. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the author.
On September 17, 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine underwent a single radiation treatment to his hip area the morning of his hip replacement surgery. The purpose was to prevent the recurrence of a medical problem he incurred, after his shattered hip and thighbone were operated on after an automobile accident he sustained last April.
The condition is called heterotopic ossification (hereafter referred to as HO). The role of radiation therapy for this non-malignant medical problem is relatively unknown by most people but is quite useful.
Background
HO is the formation of rigid bone in places it doesn't belong, namely in the flexible muscles that surround the hip joint. It occurs as a complication of total hip replacements, anywhere from 8-90% of the time, with an average occurrence rate of 40%.
HO can be identified on x-rays of the hip as early as three to six weeks after the operation. However, its effects, such as hip pain and impaired joint mobility limiting the person from climbing stairs, bending forward to tie his or her shoe laces, and arise out of a chair, usually take six to twelve months to develop. The only effective treatment for HO is re-operation, as in the case of Governor Corzine. Needless to say, it is desirable to avoid such a complication.
Who is at Risk?
Risk factors for HO include: male gender, people over age 60, history of severe osteoarthritis, arthritis of the hip following hip trauma, previous surgery on the same hip, and prior HO in the opposite hip.
How does HO occur?
Although the mechanism is not clear, one theory is: in the setting of hip trauma or surgery, bone fragments shed into the surrounding muscle tissue. There, immature connective tissue cells mature into bone cells, which then multiply and form bone in the muscle.
How radiation therapy works
On September 17, 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine underwent a single radiation treatment to his hip area the morning of his hip replacement surgery. The purpose was to prevent the recurrence of a medical problem he incurred, after his shattered hip and thighbone were operated on after an automobile accident he sustained last April.
The condition is called heterotopic ossification (hereafter referred to as HO). The role of radiation therapy for this non-malignant medical problem is relatively unknown by most people but is quite useful.
Background
HO is the formation of rigid bone in places it doesn't belong, namely in the flexible muscles that surround the hip joint. It occurs as a complication of total hip replacements, anywhere from 8-90% of the time, with an average occurrence rate of 40%.
HO can be identified on x-rays of the hip as early as three to six weeks after the operation. However, its effects, such as hip pain and impaired joint mobility limiting the person from climbing stairs, bending forward to tie his or her shoe laces, and arise out of a chair, usually take six to twelve months to develop. The only effective treatment for HO is re-operation, as in the case of Governor Corzine. Needless to say, it is desirable to avoid such a complication.
Who is at Risk?
Risk factors for HO include: male gender, people over age 60, history of severe osteoarthritis, arthritis of the hip following hip trauma, previous surgery on the same hip, and prior HO in the opposite hip.
How does HO occur?
Although the mechanism is not clear, one theory is: in the setting of hip trauma or surgery, bone fragments shed into the surrounding muscle tissue. There, immature connective tissue cells mature into bone cells, which then multiply and form bone in the muscle.
How radiation therapy works
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