Tom Hutyler: Welcome to IRG’s Sports Medicine Update

Tom Hutyler: I’m Tom Hutyler and along with Shannon O’Kelley, physical therapist and president of IRG physical and hand therapy and our guest Dr. Phil Downer, Orthopedic Specialist from Orthopedic Specialists of Seattle.

Tom Hutyler: Dr. Downer, welcome.

Tom Hutyler: Hey, hip surges come a long way, a lot of changes. Tell us about some of the changes in hip surgery.

Dr. Downer: We’re now doing a lot of work to try and preserve the hip. We’re seeing hips now that are painful, but do not have enough damage to justify replacing it so now we’re trying to preserve the hip so labral tears are something that people now hearing a lot more about and labral tear what we see are typically caused by mechanical problem of the hip.

Dr. Downer: Two of the main are hip dysplasia and hip impingement. Those are the big ones we’re seeing now and we’re trying to treat these hips when they’re painful, but before they’re so damaged that they’re non-preservable.

Tom Hutyler: As a hip surgeon, how do you decide to repair or replace?

Dr. Downer: That’s a good question. I mean, first of all, the hips need to be painful. That’s how they come to us, pain. And then we’re trying to see, is the damage such that it’s not so bad that we can preserve it or has it past the point and are we better off trying to manage this without surgery or eventually replace it.

Tom Hutyler: Well great. Thank you for your information. Always nice to hear the latest and greatest.

Dr. Downer: Thanks very much.

Tom Hutyler: If you like more information on this topic as well as how to contact Dr. Phil Downer, go to orthopedicspecialistsofseattle.com or go to irgpt.com and click on the health experts tab.