Your hip joint is one that takes on a lot of work every day. No matter what you are doing, it is performing to ensure optimal mobility. However, this also means that should something happen to it, it can greatly impact your quality of life. When it comes to a hip replacement, Fox Valley residents from Green Bay to Oshkosh might find themselves needing one for many reasons. An infection in one of the bones that make up the hip joint is one of these reasons if conventional medicine does not resolve the infection.
What is a Bone Infection?
This condition is also referred to as osteomyelitis and it is an infection that just happens to infiltrate bone tissue. Just like other infections in the body, it can result from a number of germs, with bacteria being the most common culprit. If you have a bone that is infected, it is possible to experience the following symptoms:
- Chills or fever
- Pain in the area where the infection is present
- Lethargy or irritability, especially in kids
- Where the infection is present, you might notice warmth, swelling or redness
If this infection is not promptly treated, you are at an increased risk of potentially serious complications, such as:
- Death of bone
- Impaired bone growth, specifically in kids
- Septic arthritis
- Skin cancer
Exploring the Causes
Staphylococcus bacteria that gets into bone is the most common cause. There are a number of ways for the bacteria to get to the bone tissue and these include via your bloodstream, due to an infected prosthetic joint or tissue or as a result of open wounds that expose the bone.
Getting a Diagnosis
Prompt diagnosis is very important to help improve the prognosis. After a physical exam and looking at your medical history, your doctor might recommend at least one of the following to confirm the diagnosis and to learn more about the infection to ensure proper treatment:
- Imaging studies
- Blood testing
- Bone biopsy
Treatment Options
It is important that treatment for this type of infection is not delayed because this can cause the infection to get even worse. In most cases, some type of surgery will be necessary to eradicate the infection. This is generally combined with hospitalization and antibiotics. The following surgical procedures are common:
- Draining the infected area
- Restoring the bone’s blood flow
- Amputating the limb
- Removing diseased tissue and bone
- Removing foreign objects
You can see that anything affecting the hip joint can be a major problem, so you want to work with your doctor to get it resolved right away. Should you require a hip replacement due to this type of infection, make sure to work with an experienced doctor.
Getting Started
Request a consultation with one of the hip specialists at the Orthopedic & Sports Institute. Call (920) 560-1000 or request an appointment online. OSI offers anterior, posterior, and robotic surgical options for hip replacement.
OSI has convenient locations to serve you. The campus in Appleton includes clinics, a surgery center, MRI, physical therapy, and a skilled nursing facility, as well as a walk-in clinic that provides care for new orthopedic injuries.
OSI has outreach clinics in New London, Ripon, Shawano, Waupaca, and the newest location serving the Green Bay area, inside the NOVO Health Clinic in De Pere.
OSI is a proud member of NOVO Health.