The present invention concerns apparatus and methods for hip
refurbishment/replacement and in one aspect provides a kit comprising a
femoral head and reamer. The present invention also provides apparatus
and methods for minimally invasive surgery on a hip or similar (eg
shoulder) joint. The kit is suited for performing a hip hemiarthroplasty,
in which a femoral head is fitted directly into a socket reamed into the
acetabular without any permanent liner or prosthetic acetabular being
implanted. The reamer is used to ream out the acetabulum until cancellous
bone is exposed so that it bleeds liquid containing stem cells. By
selecting the size of the femoral head in accordance with the
characteristics of the patient, the pressure imposed on the
liquid/synovial fluid of the joint is in the range between 0.5 and 2 MPa
This causes the stem cells to produce new cartilage between the bone and
femoral head.