The Don’ts

Studies show that more than 80% of all hip replacements across the industry last at least 15 years, and more than 70% last at least 20 years. Individual results may vary. Your results will depend on your personal circumstances.

Both designs have had excellent long-term results as part of total hip replacement systems. Both titanium and cobalt-chromium implants are considered highly biocompatible—meaning they are well tolerated by the human body with low risk of adverse reactions.

Titanium implants last longer, and much larger forces are required to break the bonds that join them to the body compared with their alternatives. Titanium alloys commonly used in load-bearing implants are significantly less stiff – and closer in performance to human bone – than stainless steel or cobalt-based alloys.

Investigators concluded that people with an all-ceramic implant had lower rates of revision surgery, bone deterioration, and the loosening and/or dislocation of the device compared to patients with metal-and-plastic implants.

• Don’t cross your legs at the knees for at least 6 to 8 weeks.
• Don’t bring your knee up higher than your hip.
• Don’t lean forward while sitting or as you sit down.
• Don’t try to pick up something on the floor while you are sitting.
• Don’t turn your feet excessively inward or outward when you bend down.

Pop question: how much does a hip replacement cost for an uninsured person? Answer: somewhere between eleven and $125-thousand bucks. A college student’s survey of American hospitals found quoted costs to vary wildly – when the hospitals even provided quotes.

You can expect to experience some discomfort in the hip region itself, as well as groin pain and thigh pain. This is normal as your body adjusts to changes made to joints in that area. There can also be pain in the thigh and knee that is typically associated with a change in the length of your leg.

Results: The average implant cost per case ranged from $1797 to $12,093 for total knee replacement procedures and from $2392 to $12,651 for total hip replacement procedures.

“On average, hip replacement recovery can take around two to four weeks, but everyone is different,” says Thakkar. It depends on a few factors, including how active you were before your surgery, your age, nutrition, preexisting conditions, and other health and lifestyle factors.

After surgery, you should also plan to take a stool softener, such as docusate (Colace). A fiber laxative, such as psyllium (Metamucil), may also be helpful. Purchase a laxative or stool softener before your surgery so that you have it available when you return home.

What You Can Do to Improve your Recovery

1. Get in a healthy exercise routine.
2. Most hip replacement patients are able to walk within the same day or next day of surgery; most can resume normal routine activities within the first 3 to 6 weeks of their total hip replacement recovery.
3. Pay attention to diet and weight.

slide 1 of 3, Hip Replacement (Posterior) Precautions: Safe positions for your hip,

• Keep your toes pointing forward or slightly out. Don’t rotate your leg too far.
• Move your leg or knee forward. Try not to step back.
• Keep your knees apart. Don’t cross your legs.

How Long Do You Have to Follow Hip Precautions? You need to remain under total hip precautions for about 12 weeks. During this period, don’t turn your toes in or out. Avoid crossing your legs as well.

One to 2 weeks after surgery you may be able to stand at the kitchen counter without a walking aid. Always follow the advice of your surgeon or physical therapist. Take showers. Some people are initially advised to avoid showering for a few days to protect the surgical incision.

When can I go back to work? Patients may be off work two weeks to three months after joint replacement surgery. People who work desk jobs tend to return in a few weeks. Returning to a job that involves standing or manual labor usually takes longer.

Try to use slip-on shoes, or else have a caregiver assist you with tying your shoes. After six weeks, it is okay to sit in a chair and place your ankle on your opposite knee to tie your shoe rather than bending down to the floor.

The best type of shoe to wear after total hip or total knee surgery is one with a low, wide heel. A shoe with good shock absorption is preferred, such as the S.A.S. brand or a tennis shoe. Dress shoes should have a wide heel (no spikes) and not be higher than 2 inches.

Risks associated with hip replacement surgery can include:

• Blood clots. Clots can form in your leg veins after surgery.
• Infection. Infections can occur at the site of your incision and in the deeper tissue near your new hip.
• Fracture.
• Dislocation.
• Change in leg length.
• Loosening.
• Nerve damage.

After a hip replacement many patients can kneel down after completing the precautionary period of three months. The safe way to do this is to perform a single-legged kneel whereby the patient kneels on the knee of the operated side only. This means that the other hip has to bend whilst the operated hip stays extended.

Swelling can last up to 3 months. We recommend that you walk two to three times a day for about 20-30 minutes each time. You should get up and walk around the house every 1-2 hours. Eventually you will be able to walk and stand for more than 10 minutes without putting weight on your walker or crutches.

If the prosthesis is not cemented into place, it is necessary to allow four to six weeks (for the femur bone to “grow into” the implant) before the hip joint is able to bear full weight and walking without crutches is possible.

You may feel uncomfortable at first, but these exercises will help speed your recovery and actually diminish your postoperative pain.

• Ankle Pumps.
• Ankle Rotations.
• Bed-Supported Knee Bends.
• Buttock Contractions.
• Abduction Exercise.
• Quadriceps Set.
• Straight Leg Raises.
• Stair Climbing and Descending.

Oftentimes, this gait results from straining your hip abductor muscles during physical activity. Exercises aimed at strengthening your glutes are a common culprit. In this case, the gait will likely fade as muscle inflammation fades. This gait can also appear after a total hip replacement surgery.

Make sure you continue sleeping with the pillow between your legs for at least six weeks.

Less chance of the hip coming out is only the beginning. This anterior hip is so much more stable that patients are no longer given restrictions after hip replacement. That’s right, no restrictions. After an anterior hip replacement you can do anything you want to.

Assuming that estimates from national registries are less likely to be biased, patients and surgeons can expect a hip replacement to last 25 years in around 58% of patients.

Try to sit in a straight back chair (avoid low sofas, recliners, or zero-gravity chairs) for the first 6 weeks. Do NOT sleep in a recliner. Your hip will get stiff in a flexed position and be harder to straighten out. Do not extend your hip or leg backwards for 6 weeks.

Can I go up and down stairs? Yes. Initially, you will lead with your operated leg when coming down. As your muscles get stronger and your motion improves, you will be able to perform stairs in a more normal fashion (usually in about a month).