Girdlestone hip

Last reviewed 01/2018

The Girdlestone hip operation is an excision arthroplasty of the femoral head named after the first Nuffield Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Oxford. It is a treatment for osteoarthritis of the hip.

After removal of the femoral head a fibrous joint forms between the acetabulum and the femoral shaft. The procedure offers excellent pain relief and good stability at the cost of reduced mobility.

There is always a Trendelenberg gait following this operation.