Cecilia, CONSERVE^® Total Hip with BFH^® Technology Recipient

For many years Cecilia, a 65 year old Loganville native, enjoyed long walks with her husband and jogging with her daughter. However, it was these seemingly healthy activities that led to years of discomfort. In November 2006, Cecilia was walking with her husband when she tripped over a branch and fell onto her left hip. "I felt a pull in my left hip and the fall really jarred my hip," she recalled. Cecilia also suffers from osteoporosis and when the soreness in her hip did not improve after eight months Cecilia visited her doctor, who diagnosed her with bone-on-bone osteoarthritis and recommended a hip replacement.

At the time, Cecilia was working as a nurse at Emory East Side Medical and decided against surgery because she didn’t want to interrupt her ability to work. When she retired in November 2007, Cecilia was determined to spend more time outside and tried to push through the pain. As the months went by, however, she found it increasingly difficult to walk and ride her bike.

In the fall of 2008, Cecilia’s sister read a story about a man who had recently received a new hip and was playing tennis just a few months later. Cecilia began looking for a surgeon in the Atlanta area who utilized the same technology featured in the story and came across Dr. Craig Mines, who practiced at Emory East Side Medical Center, her former place of employment. He initially suggested cortisone shots and anti-inflammatory medication, which temporarily eased the pain, but by the middle of 2009, their effectiveness had waned and Cecilia and Dr. Mines decided that it was time to consider surgical options.

In November 2009, three years after she injured herself, Cecilia underwent a hip replacement and was implanted with Wright’s CONSERVE® Total Hip with BFH® (Big Femoral Head) Technology. The CONSERVE® Total Hip is designed to mimic the natural kinematics of the hip. It features a larger femoral head ball and socket design that more closely matches the sizing of a natural femoral head, resulting in greater range of motion, which may reduce the incidence of dislocation.

"I was on my feet and using a walker just a day after my surgery and went home from the hospital after four days," recalled Cecilia. She worked with a physical therapist for six weeks and just two months after the surgery, was able to resume her active lifestyle.

Today Cecilia is doing very well and in October 2010, two years post-surgery, she completed a half marathon with her daughter. "It was my first half marathon and I was very happy with my time," she said. "I’m planning to do another one in the future!"