Mr Shivakumar Shankar

Consultant Orthopaedic Hip & Knee Surgeon • London & Essex

Primary, Complex & Minimally Invasive Arthroplasty

Specialist Hip Replacement Surgery in London & Essex

Mr Shivakumar Shankar is a regional pioneer and leading specialist in primary, complex, and robotic-assisted total hip replacement across Essex and London. Utilising advanced muscle-sparing techniques (Direct Anterior and Rottinger approaches), 3D CT virtual planning, and high-performance ceramic bearings, his focus is rapid mobilization, natural joint restoration, and lifelong implant survivorship.

Total Hip Replacement (Primary & Complex)

Replaces the worn femoral head and arthritic acetabular socket with precision modular prostheses. Eradicates severe groin, buttock, and thigh pain while accurately restoring natural leg length and femoral offset.

  • • Modern ceramic-on-polyethylene low-friction bearings
  • • Uncemented hydroxyapatite-coated titanium cups
  • • Customised femoral stem geometry

Robotic & Navigated Hip Surgery

Pioneered by Mr Shankar as the first surgeon in Essex & NE London. Utilises 3D CT virtual templating to achieve sub-millimeter orientation of the acetabular cup inclination and anteversion.

  • • Real-time leg length and offset tracking
  • • Eliminates component malpositioning
  • • Dramatically reduces dislocation risks

Minimally Invasive Muscle-Sparing Approaches

Rottinger and Direct Anterior approaches navigate between natural muscular planes without detaching or dividing major stabilizing muscle groups (such as the gluteus medius).

  • • Significantly reduced post-operative pain
  • • Minimal blood loss and rapid hospital discharge
  • • No standard hip movement restrictions

Diagnostic & Therapeutic Hip Injections

Hip pain frequently mimics or coexists with lower back pathology (lumbar spine stenosis or sciatica). Mr Shankar performs precision ultrasound- or fluoroscopy-guided local anaesthetic and corticosteroid hip joint injections:

Diagnostic Differentiating Test: If local anaesthesia immediately abolishes joint pain during walking and stair climbing, it definitively confirms the hip joint as the primary anatomical pain generator rather than lumbar nerve roots.
Therapeutic Symptom Relief: Calms severe inflammatory synovitis, providing months of pain relief and buying valuable time for patients pursuing non-operative management before definitive surgery.

Common Hip Conditions Treated

Hip Osteoarthritis

Progressive loss of articular cartilage resulting in bone-on-bone friction, groin stiffness, and limp.

Avascular Necrosis (AVN)

Disruption of femoral head microvascular blood supply leading to bone collapse and acute groin pain.

Hip Dysplasia (DDH)

Shallow acetabular socket causing abnormal joint contact stresses and accelerated early arthritis.

FAI & Labral Tears

Cam or pincer impingement generating labral tearing, catching, and groin discomfort in active adults.

Explore Related Clinical Services

Robotic Surgery → Rehab Protocols → Hip Patient Reviews → Book Hip Consultation →