What's New

We welcome Dr. Krcik to our practice. Dr. Krcik is returning home to the South Side. He is a graduate of Brother Rice High School and University of Illinois-Chicago. Dr. Krcik’s specialty is in Pediatric / Adult Sports Medicine. We are very pleased to welcome him to our practice and back to Chicago!

See Dr. Krcik’s bio for further information »

Our Specialties Include

• Total Hip and Knee Replacement
• Revision Total Joint Arthroplasty
• Anterior Approach Hip Replacement
• Knee Arthroscopy / ACL Reconstruction
• Partial Knee Replacement
• Hip Resurfacing
• Hip Arthroscopy
• Ankle Arthroscopy
• Shoulder Arthroscopy / Rotator Cuff Repair / SLAP Repair
• Sports Medicine (Sports-Related Injuries)
• Pediatric Sports Medicine / Adult Sports Medicine
• Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Knee and Hip
• General Orthopedics
• Pediatric Orthopedics
• Fracture Care

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Additional Information

• Surgery Information
• Inpatient Surgery Instructions
• Surgery Risks
• Surgical Consent

View Animation of Hip Replacement »

Hip: Posterior Approach

Total hip replacement is a surgical procedure, which involves replacing the femoral head (top of the thigh bone), and the acetabulum (hip socket). Typically, the artificial ball with its stem is made of a strong metal, and the artificial socket is made of polyethylene — a durable plastic. The ball and insert glide together to replicate the hip joint.

Steps to the Procedure

Step 1: Hip Incision To begin the surgery, the surgeon will make an incision in the skin over your hip joint, cutting through the skin, soft tissue, and muscle to access the hip joint.

Step 2: Prepare the Acetabulum The femoral head is then dislocated from the socket and removed from the end of the femur with a saw. The acetabulum (hip socket) is exposed and a reamer — cheese-grater type device — is used to create a perfect hemispherical bone socket that matches the external shape of the acetabular cup.

Step 3: Implant the Acetabular Cup The acetabular cup is carefully positioned into the socket. This cup is held in place using a number of methods depending upon surgeon preference and your bone quality. These methods may include bone cement to hold the cup in place; most cups are designed to allow bone to grow into the metal surface to hold the cup in place.

Step 4: Implant the Acetabular Insert An acetabular insert is snapped into the cup. This may be made of durable plastic or ceramic.

Step 5: Implant the Femoral Stem The inside of the femur (thigh bone) is then cleared with various types of devices and a prosthesis is placed into the femur.

Step 6: Check Hip Stability A trial ball is placed on the top of the femoral stem. The hip is evaluated for the type and amount of motion it has and the stability of the joint — that is, the inability of the ball to dislocate from the socket easily.

Step 7: Final Implants The final ball is placed onto the femoral stem. The leg is evaluated again for stability and mobility and leg length equality. The surgeon will close the wound in layers with stitches and/or staples.