Hip resurfacing is new type of hip surgery that was FDA approved in 2006. It has been done in Europe, Asia and India since the 1980's. Hip resurfacings are done to younger patients who want to conserve as much bone (socket and femur), while shaving away all the OA bone spurs that have grown in the joint.
It is the same process of when the dentist whittles down the tooth, and fits it with a "crown". And they clean out the acetabulum or hip socket as well. The result is a non-impinged, free-moving fluid hip joint!
They use metal ball over your own femur and they reline the acetabulum with the same metal. Unlike a total hip replacement, you keep more of your bone and there isn't a giant metal stem implanted into your femur shaft, plus your anatomy is the same, less to no precautions, faster recovery. And if you should need to have a total hip replacement in the future (resurfacings last about the same as total hips- 20-30 yrs- ideally) you will have enough bone to have that procedure done later.
Here is a great resource for everything you want to know about hip resurfacings, it is
http://www.surfacehippy.info/
