Hip Unit
Established alongside the creation of the Department of Locomotor System Pathology and Sports Medicine.
Icatme / Medical units / Hip Unit
The Most Renowned Hip Unit in the Country
It is one of the most recognized units in Spain, Europe, and America, known for its numerous publications and, above all, for pioneering the development of the most advanced medical-surgical techniques in hip pathology.
Its primary goal is to treat the hip before it begins to deteriorate, delaying this wear as much as scientifically possible, providing quality of life at every age, and avoiding “waiting until adulthood.”
Throughout the year, the unit hosts international and national physicians for training and observation of cutting-edge surgical techniques. As a global reference center, it holds ISO and Joint Commission certifications as a teaching and university center (the first hospital in Catalonia to be accredited).
The unit in numbers
Largest series of hip dysplasia cases treated with periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) in Spain.
The unit welcomes international and national physicians throughout the year for instructional training stages to learn from the most advanced surgical techniques, establishing itself as a global reference center.
It also organizes the prestigious “Young adult hip surgery course” annually.
Pathologies

Also known as femoroacetabular impingement in Central European and Anglo-Saxon languages, this pathology, discovered by Swiss and German orthopedic surgeons in the late 20th century, is now the leading cause of hip osteoarthritis, that is, the wear and tear of this joint. Scientific journals have reported that it is responsible for causing hip osteoarthritis in patients who have had a total hip replacement, accounting for between 60% and 70% of cases.

In some cases, over the years, the femoral head does not stay fully within the acetabulum and does not support the joint well, causing the femoral head to slip out. This situation leads to accelerated wear of the hip joint, more quickly than what would be considered normal for the patient’s age. Often, individuals aged 20 to 30 experience pain with any physical effort. If left untreated, corrective surgeries are required, or the joint will develop osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the wear of the portion responsible for proper sliding and cushioning between the femoral head and the acetabulum. Hip osteoarthritis is a pathology that affects a large number of people worldwide. Its incidence in the population varies greatly by race, being much more common in Caucasians compared to Asians, ranging between 3% and 6% of the population in Western countries.
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In older individuals, typically over the age of 65 for men and over 55 for women, the bone at the femoral head and neck is less resistant than in younger individuals, which is why we recommend the implantation of a total hip replacement rather than a surface prosthesis. Our service was a pioneer in the implantation of total hip prostheses with modular necks and large-diameter heads, which allow for adjusting the leg length and individualized selection of each femoral neck as if it were a custom prosthesis.

This pathology typically occurs in individuals aged 40 to 50 years, where sudden and intense hip pain occurs, which does not go away with rest and may even wake the patient at night. This indicates that the femoral head is not receiving enough blood. In the early stages, less invasive procedures, such as forage or decompression, are available. In advanced cases, we must resort to arthroprosthetic techniques.

While the survival rate of total hip prostheses is very high, any implant that becomes loosened can be replaced. A patient with a prosthesis may experience pain when walking, limiting their walking distance. They may also feel pain when sitting, standing up from a chair, or starting to walk.

Abductor tendonitis, inguinal-crural pain, and pubic osteopathies are some of the most frequent causes of groin pain in athletes, although they are not as common as previously believed. Its differential diagnosis is femoroacetabular impingement, now recognized as the most frequent cause of hip and groin pain in athletes (Philippon et al. AJSM. 2007). In fact, many cases of femoroacetabular impingement present with retraction-shortening of the abductor tendons.
El equipo
La mejor unidad de cadera esta formada por los mejores profesionales sanitarios de su área.