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 this article I will discuss the patient who has significant disability from a hip or knee, but whose workup either is not definitive or doesn’t appear “severe enough” to warrant joint replacement.

Before considering knee surgery, you and your surgeon must carefully weigh the benefits of partial versus total knee replacement. Although age and physical activity play a role in the decision-making process, by far the most important consideration is the condition of the knee joint.