Institut Margalet has become an international reference center in hip arthroscopy.
For the past decade, sporting activity has been introduced into our lives, “in sickness and in health…” as the sacrament says. Are we prepared for this activity? How will sport affect our joints? Can we prevent joint injuries?
How does sport affect our lives?
It has been proven that sporting activity in moderation positively influences different aspects of our organism: maintenance of body weight, regulation of blood pressure, and cardio respiratory improvement, among others. On a psychological level, it reduces stress and anxiety, prepares us for effort and sacrifice, and gives us the virtue of sportsmanship. On the other hand, certain impact and repetitive sports activities can accelerate the degenerative processes of our joints, especially if we are not physically prepared for their practice and therefore we can consider that it predisposes to osteoarthritis.
What is osteoarthritis of the hip?
Osteoarthritis of the hip is not a disease in itself. It is the consequence of a joint pathology that predisposes us to suffer it, but that we can treat and prevent. We know that 75% of the articular degenerative processes of the hip that end in the implantation of a prosthesis are triggered by a mechanical joint conflict called “femoro acetabular shock” which in its various presentations affects 20% of the population. In our country, with more than 46million inhabitants censused in 2014, about 9 million present this type of joint mechanical conflict, which for constitutional reasons affect the functionalism of their hips and can trigger hip osteoarthritis at different stages of their lives.
How can we prevent the onset of osteoarthritis of the hip?
This is our main objective: the prevention and detection of patients with risk factors to present such joint degeneration. We know that there is this pathology called femoroacetabular impingement, which is constitutional and occurs in those patients who have inherited this constitution or joint morphology (shape of the bones) from one of their relatives, and that sports practice can trigger the onset of wear and tear early and precociously. In many cases, false diagnoses of tendinitis or muscle overload hide the true etiology of the injury and only worsen the joint condition of our patients. Our evolution leads us to live more and more years, and our goal is that we can enjoy them with the highest possible quality of life, and for that at the Institut Margalet we have the best diagnostic methods to achieve adequate prevention.
What do the methods consist of?
After more than 14 years dedicated to this type of pathology, we have developed an early diagnosis protocol, based on the most advanced and modern technological devices, which together with our experience, endorse us as a pioneering center in the treatment and diagnosis of hip injuries. We have the best Radiodiagnostic equipment in Europe that allows us to perform detailed and meticulous examinations, where we can assess the state of the articular cartilage, so important for the proper functioning of the joint. This type of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) avoids the invasive joint puncture with contrast that is required and necessary in other types of machines, as well as reduces the exposure time. Our radiologists are undoubtedly one of the best in the diagnosis and assessment of our patients. We form a great multidisciplinary team that allows us to study and interpret the images of any patient in the world. Another important and fundamental point is the study that we carry out by means of the pelvic sensor.
What is the pelvic sensor?
It is a device that is responsible for providing all the information regarding the characteristics of the patient’s gait, as well as to obtain the rotational movement of the lumbar region of the trunk during walking, providing data on the kinematic movements of the pelvis. These movements are very important for the balance of the human body.
Why is this study so important?
Up to now, all the examinations we have carried out on the study of the pathology of the pelvis/hips and lower extremities have been static, i.e. the patient is still, either lying down or standing, but never before have we been able to study the individual in motion, moving. This analysis allows us to know and know how each patient moves, to analyze their movement is to know their biomechanics, to detect which pattern is predominant. We are one of the few centers in Europe with this diagnostic system.
Is osteoarthritis treated?
As we have already pointed out, osteoarthritis is the consequence of a joint pathology or the trigger of a biomechanical alteration. An early diagnosis, using the most avant-garde and technologically advanced systems, helps us to achieve this goal. We have different therapies, from the most conservative based on joint preservation to the use of biomaterials.
You are a member of the committee of experts on biomaterials at the national level. What is the importance of biomaterials in the treatment of joint pathology?
There is undoubtedly a before and after in the application of these techniques. The use of these biomaterials allows us to repair articular cartilage, tendon and ligament injuries that are so important for joint function. It is undoubtedly the immediate future of joint regeneration.