Hip replacement surgery. Image 22 of 30. Surgical pliers being used to remove bone from the old hip socket in the pelvis. This will make room for the implantation of a new socket. This socket will then articulate with the ball of an implant placed in the femur (upper leg bone), forming the new hip joint. This surgery is usually performed in response to arthritis, the degeneration of the joints, and restores mobility to people who would otherwise be incapacitated by pain and unable to move freely. For a sequence of images showing the full surgery, see M551/340-369. For a sequence showing the operation on the pelvis, see images M551/360-366.