Hip replacement

Your hip joints are likely to develop pain from injury and/or wear. These ball-and-socket joints support your weight when you’re standing, walking or running and are second only to the shoulder for most range of motion.

The more active you are (or were), the more likely you’ll be one of the millions of people with hip pain. Regardless of your past or present activity level, however, hips can become a sore spot. If this is true for you, call your orthopedic doctor and let joint care experts find and fix your hip pain.

Mild or occasional hip pain can be treated at home with rest, heat, ice and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. However, if your hip pain becomes severe, frequent or constant, you should call for an appointment with an orthopedic doctor.

You should also reach out to your doctor for an appointment if you notice these symptoms:

• Hip pain when standing, walking or lying down
• Intense pain, burning or grinding in your hip
• Inability to put weight on your hips
• Pain, soreness, swelling or reduced range of motion in your hip after periods of rest/inactivity or immediately following or the day after a long walk
• Inability to stand or walk for more than a few minutes
• Sudden swelling of the hip
• Signs of infection, such as fever, chills or redness, accompanied by hip pain

Take the Knee and Hip Health Assessment

If your doctor has suggested hip surgery to help with your hip pain, you may have options. Your orthopedic specialist can help you choose which of the following procedures are best for your diagnosis and health goals:

• Hip arthroscopy to fix tears in the soft tissues and cartilage surrounding your hip, which may reduce pain and improve your range of motion
• Hip resurfacing to install a cap on the upper end of the femur and a cup for the hip socket
• Partial hip replacement to replace the broken femoral head (the highest part of the thigh bone) with a ball and stem
• Total hip replacement to replace the damaged hip joint with an implant (an artificial ball and socket)

Total hip replacement is recommended for severe hip pain caused by injury or disease that has not improved with other treatments.

If you’ve been referred for a total hip replacement, ask your doctor about anterior hip replacement. Patients who have anterior hip replacements generally have less pain and return to function faster compared to people who undergo alternative approaches for hip replacement.

Depending on your condition, you may be eligible for robot-assisted surgery. Talk to your orthopedic specialists about the advanced options available through our orthopedic program.