Partial hip replacement or hemiarthroplasty of hip is a procedure where only half of the joint ,the ball; femoral head is replaced.The acetabulum or the floor of the hip(socket) cavity is left untouched.
Partial hip replacement is needed in elderly patients where the femoral neck is fractured.The lifespan of the patient is limited and or there are major preexisting comorbidities.
The approach and the procedure is same as total hip replacement except that the implant used is different. The procedure takes less time than the total hip replacement. The complications and precautions are the same as that after total hip replacement.