Patent Law Practice Center

Hip Replacements – A Brief Patent History

Nearly one year ago, on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, I had a total right hip replacement. The surgery went very well. The biggest problem I encountered was nearly non-stop hiccups for the first week, which was likely due to the anesthesia. I was walking the next day, and I am now walking normally and continue to strengthen my leg muscles. With this personal anniversary, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the evolution of hip replacement technology through the lens of issued U.S. patents.

Hip surgeries have been taking place for at least 300 years, and have progressed from rudimentary surgeries to the sophisticated total hip replacement (i.e., total hip arthroplasty or THA) surgeries that are so commonplace today. According to the CDC, during 2010 there were 332,000 in patient total hip replacements performed in the U.S. Indeed, hip replacement surgery today is widely recognized as one of the most successful surgical interventions ever developed. See Early Attempts at Hip Arthroplasty.

Modern hip replacement surgery really dates back to the 1960s, with the development of new devices that reduced the wear sustained by artificial hip joints over time, and which provided more predictable outcomes.

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