Treatments for Hip & Groin Pain in West London
PRIVATE HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY
What you need to know about hip replacement surgery
Less invasive ceramic hip replacement in younger adults
Hip replacement as day surgery
A look behind the scenes at one of the world’s most successful and life-changing surgical procedures
REVISION HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY
Revision redo total hip replacement surgery
Hyaluronic acid Hip injections
Sodium hyaluronate (also known as hyaluronic acid or hyaluronan) is a natural substance. It is present in the body wherever moisture is stored or lubrication between layers of tissue is required to eliminate friction.
Examples are inside the eye ball itself, the tear film, the joint cartilage, the synovial fluid in the joints, all the mucuous membranes of the body, but also the basic substance of the skin which consists of up to 55% sodium hyaluronate.
Sodium hyaluronate takes on a variety of functions:
Storage: it absorbs and stores moisture in enormous quantities
Lubrication
Transport medium for nutrients
Filter for inflammatory molecules
It may help to visualise sodium hyaluronate as a dish of spaghetti (this is what the molecules look look like under an electronic microscope): a dense mesh that remains elastic and flexible in spite of its density and interwoven structure.
Sodium hyaluronate is an essential component of the synovial fluid. It enables the fluid to act as a lubricant, a shock absorber and a filter controlling the movement of cells and large molecules within the joint.
Sodium hyaluronate is injected into the space in the joint that contains synovial fluid and works by restoring the normal balance between the breakdown and production of sodium hyaluronate. This procedure is known as 'viscosupplementation.'
One such brand used in our clinic is OSTENIL® PLUS which can decrease pain and stiffness and improve the other symptoms of osteoarthritis.
The sodium hyaluronate in OSTENIL®PLUS is very pure and is manufactured using a process called fermentation. It contains no animal proteins, which means that it is very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. OSTENIL® PLUS has been given to thousands of patients and has not been found to cause any serious side effects. The exact make-up of the sodium hyaluronate in OSTENIL®PLUS has been carefully chosen so that it is as effective as possible in treating osteoarthritis.
Only one injection per joint is required, with pain relief often lasting for many months.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP)Hip injections
PRP therapy (Platelet Rich Plasma therapy), also known as Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP) therapy, takes advantage of the blood’s natural healing properties to repair damaged cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles, or even bone. The main aim of this treatment is to reduce pain, improve joint function and potentially slow, halt or even repair damage to cartilage. It is well used in Medicine and helps patients regain activity by effectively reducing pain and improving mobility. This simple outpatient treatment may help you recover from a painful sports injury or chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis and tendonopathy.
The procedure
The procedure is performed in the out-patient clinic.
A blood sample is drawn from a vein in the arm as per any regular blood test you might have had before.
Your blood sample is placed in a special machine which spins the blood in a centrifuge to seperate, extract and concentrate the desired substances (ACP Autologous Conditioned Plasma)
These substances (ACP) are injected back into your painful knee or hip or the affected tendons nearby.
The treatment is generally administered at three weekly intervals (3 treatments in total). Since the treatment is prepared from the patient’s own blood, the treatment carries a very low risk.
How it works
The healing of injured or inflamed tissue involves a complex and precisely regulated series of natural processes within the body. Thrombocytes (platelets) play an important role in this process. At the site of injury they release growth factors that initiate the restoration of injured tissue and inhibit painful inflammatory processes. PRP therapy is based on our understanding of these complex processes. With its high concentration of growth factors PRP injections are a natural way of supporting the body’s self-healing processes.