Orthopedic Hip Replacement Brace
Have you recently had a surgery on your hip? Have you ever had a hip replacement, labral tear or hip dislocation?
1.) Introduction
There are many hip problems that can leave people not only in pain, but immobilized as a result. Injury to the hip is a common occurence and the need for a hip brace (orthosis) can help to secure a patient’s hip who has injured themselves. One of the ways people help to keep their hip safe after a surgery is to use a hip abduction brace. This is a support that helps to limit excessive or unwanted movements after a surgery. In this fashion it helps to facilitate the healing process.
2.) Indications for a Hip Brace
A.) Hip Replacement Surgery
B.) Hip Dislocations – Posterior or Anterior
C.) Labral Tears
3.) The Purpose of Hip Braces
Restricting unwanted movements after a hip injury can be a key component to the healing process. For example, your surgeon may have done a procedure that has either fixed a labral tear or maybe you have undergone a hip replacement surgery. Either way, certain movements can help to ruin the surgery. These movements are adduction (moving your hip toward midline) or excessive hip flexion. The brace will help to hold the hip so it does not pop out of place.
You may think to yourself, “I do not need a brace, I will just be careful”. The problem with this theory is that all it takes is for you to make one movement the wrong way and the surgery can go bad. Unfortunate but true. You may be walking along as you have partially healed, noticing that no pain exists in your hip. Many patients make the mistake that since there is no pain that everything is totally healed internally. As a result of little to no pain, a person may try to make a certain movement (like adduction or excessive flexion) that was once more normal for you. – This is where the use of a brace comes in. The brace, when provided by a professional and applied correctly can help to stop those unwanted movements, while you are still in the healing process. This in turn will help to facilitate the healing process for you and keep you more safe from accidents that can happen.
*Note: This is health information. Although it is good information, medical advice on bracing should be provided to you by your local, licensed orthotist.
