Mr Alan James Highcock is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, specialising in Hip and Knee Surgery. His clinical interests are focused in arthritis of the hip and knee, and sports injuries. His surgical practice hip and knee replacement, revision (re-do) of previous replacements, and joint preserving surgery. He utilises the latest technologies to maximise the outcomes for his patients, specifically Augmented Reality assisted surgery and medial pivot knee replacement. Mr Highcock is a recognised trainer for fellow surgeons in these techniques.
Mr Highcock was born and lives on the Wirral, he undertook his medical and Orthopaedic training in Liverpool. Subsequently he was awarded the First Biennial International Allan Gross Fellowship Award in 2014 and completed his Fellowship training at the world renowned Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada under the tutorship of Dr Allan Gross and Dr David Backstein. There he developed his interest in partial and total knee replacement (including the medial pivot knee replacement), hip replacement and revision surgery for re-do hip and knee replacements.
In addition to this internationally renowned fellowship, he trained at the nationally recognised Wrightington Centre for Hip Surgery and as the Cavendish Hip Fellow in Sheffield.
Mr Highcock was appointed as an Orthopaedic Consultant at Wirral University Teaching Hospital in 2016, with specific interest complex and revision Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Surgery. His clinical practice encompasses ever aspect of hip and knee arthroplasty surgery, from hip and knee replacements, through to the most complex revision surgeries.
Mr Highcock also performs partial and total knee replacements, and total hip replacement for more advanced arthritis. He is the only surgeon in the Northwest of England to offer a Medial Pivot Knee Replacement with Augmented reality assistance, a modern technique with major patient benefits.
Mr Highcock has an interest in research and has published multiple scientific papers on his surgical practice in international journals. He has authored book chapters on hip and knee replacement and been an invited lecturer throughout the UK, Europe and North America. He is a recognised trainer in modern aspects of hip and knee replacement, regularly training fellow Consultant surgeons on these latest techniques.
Outside of work Mr Highcock is kept busy by his young family and his passion for motorsport, exercise and sports. He has a particular affinity for baseball after working alongside Dr Allan Gross, team physician, for the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball (MLB) team whilst in Canada.
International
Patient Satisfaction in Knee Replacement
Medial Pivot knee symposium: Nottingham, Nov 2023
DAIR outcomes and technique
Northwest PJI conference: Liverpool, Oct 2023
Patient satisfaction and knee balancing
Microport Orthopaedics, Nottingham, Oct 2021
Revision Hip Surgery
Biennial Allan Gross Fellowship Symposium: Toronto, Jun 2018
Biological bailouts for complex knee trauma
Complex trauma and soft tissue knee course: Smith&Nephew, Jun 2014
A Brief History of Orthopaedics
5th International Forum of Hellenic Medical Students and Junior doctors, Crete, May 2011
Hip fractures in young patients
Nottingham Fracture Forum, United Kingdom, Nov 2012
Combined Trabecular Metal Acetabular Shell and Augment for acetabular revision with substantial bone loss: Good mid- to long-term clinical results and survivorship
AAOS, New Orleans, Mar 2018
Fresh Osteochondral Allografts for femoral condyle defects using OATS: Mid-term clinical, radiographic and survival analysis
ICRS, Sorrento Italy, Sept 2016
Arthrodiastasis forend-stage juvenile inflammatory arthritis of the ankle
British Society for Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery Annual Congress, Aberdeen, Mar 2014
A minimum 8-year follow-up of the Freeman Hip with Rotalok acetabular cup: Survivorship, patterns of loosening and revision technique
European Hip Society 11thCongress, Stockholm, Sept 2014
Periprosthetic femoral fracture fixation – a biomechanical comparison between three fixation methods
European Hip Society 11thCongress, Stockholm, Sept 2014
First description of a new provocative clinical test for hip arthritis
European Hip Society 11thCongress, Stockholm, Sept 2014
Cementing technique in hip hemiarthroplasty are cemented prostheses the answer?
European Hip Society 10thCongress, Milan, Sept 2012
Clinically relevant peri-operative bleeding in primary arthroplasty surgery is increased with oral Factor Xa inhibitors
12thEFORT Congress, Berlin, May 2012
What is the optimal timing for Ankle Fracture Surgery?
12thEFORT Congress, Berlin, May 2012
Thromboprophylaxis with oral factor Xa inhibitors in arthroplasty surgery: do they increase blood loss in clinic practice?
British Orthopaedic Association, Dublin, Sept 2011
Biomechanical reconstruction of the hip in large-diameter femoral head arthroplasty
11th EFORT Congress, Madrid, June 2010
Modified pre-operative functional assessment scoring as an aid in arthroplasty choice for fractures of the femoral neck
11th EFORT Congress, Madrid, June 2010
Fragility Fracture Secondary Prevention: Are we doing enough?
10th EFORT Congress, Vienna, June 2009
Non-operative management of atlanto-axial fractures: CT scanning for detection of fusion reduces the need for subsequent surgery
10th EFORT Congress, Vienna, June 2009
Hip Fracture in the Older Person: Are we achieving the standard?
10th EFORT Congress, Vienna, June 2009
National
Total knee arthroplasty survivorship by design philosophy: are we ignoring medial pivot design? Analysis based on the uk national joint registry.
Mohan R, Staunton D, Carter J, Highcock A.
BOA, Liverpool, 2022
Total knee replacement survivorship by design philosophy.
Fagir M, Highcock A.
BAKS, Bristol, 2020
Severe femoral osteolysis treated with a cemented Charnley revision arthroplasty. Clinical and radiological follow-up to 27 years.
Highcock AJ, Siney P, Wroblewski BM, Raut VV, Wynn-Jones H.
British Hip Society, London, Mar 2015
Debridement, antibiotics and implant retention for deep infection in arthroplasty: does clinical practice support the published evidence?
Highcock AJ, Carroll FA
British Hip Society, London, Mar 2015
Outcome of Total Hip Replacement for femoral neck fracture: A district general hospital experience
Highcock AJ, Withers D, Unnikrishnan N, Emms EW.
British Hip Society, London, Mar 2015
A minimum 15-year follow-up of the Freeman Hip and Rotalok acetabular cup: trends and revision technique
Highcock AJ, Emms EW, Bolton-Maggs B
British Hip Society, Bristol, Feb 2013
First description of a new provocative hip test specific to hip arthritis
Highcock AJ
British Hip Society, Bristol, Feb 2013
Outcome of total hip replacement for femoral neck fracture: a district general hospital experience
Highcock AJ, Unnikrishnan N, Emms EW
British Hip Society, Bristol, Feb 2013
Is it time for a new hip hemiarthroplasty prosthesis: a comparison of restoration of normal hip anatomy with current implants
Highcock AJ, Banim R, Emms EW
Wrightington National Hip Registrar Research Day, Nov 2012
Optimisation of ankle fractures requiring surgery
Highcock AJ, Robinson SJ, Sherry PG
British Trauma Society, May 2011
Oral Factor Xa Inhibitor Thromboprophylaxis in Total Knee Arthroplasty: do they increase blood loss in clinical practice?
Highcock AJ, Craghill EJ, Simmons DJ
British Association of Surgeons of the Knee Annual meeting, April 2011
A review of hip fracture management with respect to BOA standards – a multi-centred study
Richards H, Highcock AJ
Association of Surgeons in Training Conference, Sheffield, Apr 2011
Bisphosphonates following Fragility Fracture: are we prescribing enough?
Highcock AJ, Cohen D, Manning M and Tsang JSF
Injury Extra. Vol. 40, Issue 10, Oct 2009, Page 201
British Trauma Society, Newcastle, May 2009
CT Scanning to assess fracture fusion reduces the need for subsequent surgery in conservatively managed atlanto-axial fractures
Highcock AJ, Cohen D, Moulton L, Rourke K, de Matas M and Pillay R.
Injury Extra. Vol. 40, Issue 10, October 2009, Page 215
British Trauma Society, Newcastle, May 2009
Are we meeting the BOA standards for Hip Fracture Care in the Older Person?
Highcock AJ, Cohen D, Richards H, Rourke K, Tsang JF and de Matas M.
Injury Extra. Vol. 40, Issue 10, Oct 2009
British Trauma Society, Newcastle, May 2009
Non-operative management of Atlanto-Axial fractures: Maintaining rigid immobilisation until CT scanning confirms fracture union improves outcomes and reduces the need for subsequent surgery
Highcock AJ, Moulton L, Rourke K, de Matas M and Pillay R.
British Association Spinal Surgeons, Sheffield, Feb 2009
Fragility Fracture Secondary Prevention
Highcock AJ, Cohen D, Chapman E, Sarkar S, Manning M and Tsang JSF.
Age & Ageing Journal. Vol. 37; Supplement 4
British Geriatrics Society National Conference, Birmingham, Nov 2008.
Optimisation of ankle fractures requiring surgery – Can length of stay be reduced?
Highcock AJ, Robinson SJ, Sherry PG
J Bone Joint Surg Br 2012 94-B:(SUPP XIII)7
British Orthopaedic Specialists Association, 6thAnnual meeting, May 2010
Orthogeriatric input in fragility fractures improves secondary prevention care
Highcock AJ, Cohen D, Manning M and Tsang JSF
Osteoporosis International, vol. 20, 2009 pp. S283-S283.
Fragility Fracture Secondary Prevention: Are we doing enough?
Cohen D, Highcock AJ, Manning M and Tsang JSF.
European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) Athens, Mar 2009
Bisphosphonate Therapy in Fragility Fractures
Highcock AJ, Cohen D, Manning M and Tsang JSF.
Journal of Clinical Densitometry, Volume 12, Issue 3, Pages 392-393
Translation predicts revision surgery in supracondylar fractures of the elbow in children
Holland P, Highcock AJ, Bruce CE
British Elbow and Shoulder Society, Jun 2013
