Some patients in need of a hip replacement will ask me if they are candidates for a partial rather than a total hip replacement because it sounds “less invasive.” Unlike the knee (which has three distinct compartments and when one wears out there’s a good chance that only that compartment needs to be replaced), the hip is a single ball (femoral head) and joint socket (acetabulum) and a partial hip replacement often isn’t the optimum choice.

In my last Q&A blog post, I shared some of the most common reader questions about knee replacement surgery. Again, I will use a Q&A format to share some of the most-frequently asked questions and concerns relating to a hip dislocation or hip subluxation, a condition in which the hip joint is partially, but not fully, dislocated.

Since beginning my joint replacement blog several years ago, I have received many comments and questions from readers on a variety of subjects and personal experiences. For this post, I will use a Q & A format to share some of the most-frequently asked questions and concerns about hip replacement surgery (THR).

In a previous blog, I discussed in detail the difference between partial and total hip replacements. Basically, a partial hip replacement (hemiarthroplasty) is performed to treat femoral neck fractures which are a type of hip fracture.