One gimpy hip chicks journey through a Periacetabular Osteotomy (PAO) and a Femoral Osteotomy (FO).
Monday, June 8, 2009
Pills, pills and more pills
It seems as if all I do is take medication lately. Dustin and I thought it would be interesting to see how many pills I am currently taking in a 24-hour period. Yipes! No wonder it seems like I'm in a fog!
I'm a follower of Christ, a wife, a mother of three daughters,a HR Manager, soon-to-be part time student and a soccer/basketball mom all rolled into one "little" package.
Dysplasia and PAO basics Hip dysplasia is a congenital condition in which the ball and socket joint don't fit together the way they should. I have shallow hip sockets, which causes uneven pressure on the joint, a premature breakdown of cartilage and early osteoarthritis. PAO surgery involves cutting the pelvis in a few places and screwing it back together in a way that makes the socket joint less shallow and more accepting of the ball joint. It's meant to preserve the hip and prevent further arthritis and pain. A PAO is not a hip replacement, which is not ideal for people my age because they only last 10 years or so and require additional surgeries for revisions.
I'm also in need of a femoral osteotomy (FO) because, in laymans terms, my femur is at an angle and shouldn't be. FO surgery involves the doctor cutting through the femoral head and rotating it anteriorly or posteriorly -- to the front or to the back. This creates better coverage of the acetabulum (hip socket) over the femoral head. An L-shaped plate and several pins reattach the femoral head to the femoral body. The bone knits back together with this support in place.
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