The hip is one of the main articulations of the human body .
Constituted essentially by the head of the femur and the acetabulum (the latter being a concave-shaped bone within which the femoral head is inserted), the hip connects the trunk with the lower limbs and allows the human being to stand standing, walking, running etc.
Due to severe osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis at an advanced stage or following a severe fracture of a hip bone, this joint may deteriorate to the point that it must be replaced with a prosthesis .
Hip prostheses consist, in fact, of a replica of the original bone elements of the hip, a replica that involves the use of metallic, ceramic and / or polyethylene materials.
Several celebrities have (or owned) a hip prosthesis; the best known and that, in a sense, have made history in their field of competence are:
- Ray Charles .
Very famous American singer and pianist, he is considered one of the pioneers of soul music. Everyone will certainly know one of his greatest successes, Georgia On My Mind . Blind from the age of 8 due to glaucoma, he underwent hip replacement surgery in 2003, at the age of 73 years. The operation forced him to cancel a series of dates.
- George HW Bush .
He was the 41st president of the United States, between 1989 and 1993 and is currently the oldest living American ex-president. Famous for the so-called "Gulf War" and because the father of another president - the namesake George W. Bush - was forced to undergo hip replacement in 2000.
- Eddie Van Halen .
Famous Dutch (but American naturalization) guitarist, he is considered one of the most influential and innovative rock musicians of the twentieth century. Also operated on tongue cancer and diverticulitis, he underwent hip replacement in November 1999, at 44, due to severe avascular necrosis.
- Katherine Hepburn .
Born in the USA in 1907 and died in 2003, she was a highly regarded theater and film actress. Not surprisingly, during his career, he won 4 Academy Awards as best actress. Always very active (taking care of her own garden, etc.), she had to undergo hip replacement in 1990, due to a severe form of osteoarthritis.
- Jane Fonda .
Born in 1937, she is a well-known American actress and film producer. She underwent hip replacement in 2005, at the age of 67. Nevertheless and despite a knee prosthesis, he still manages to stay fit and active.
- Steve Perry .
Born in 1949, he is a famous American singer, composer and record producer of Portuguese origin. He had to resort to implanting a hip prosthesis in 1998, after a serious accident during a stay in Hawaii, in 1996.
