If you have pain in or around the hip joint, or referred pain from the hip joint, you may have trouble with everyday activities like getting dressed or bathing. Whether you are just exploring the idea of hip surgery or you have already scheduled the procedure, here are some things you should know about this very common surgery.

Parts of the Hip

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball is made of the top of the thigh bone (femur), which fits into the hip socket of the pelvis bone. The bony surfaces are coated with cartilage, covered in membranes and connected to other bones and muscles with ligaments. This allows the joint to move freely and without pain.

Damage from injury or a medical condition can result in chronic hip pain, deceased range of movement, stiffness and mobility issues. Your health care team might start your treatment with nonsurgical options for hip pain. If such treatments are not effective, you may be a candidate for hip joint surgery.

Why Hip Replacement Surgery Is Done

If you have chronic hip pain or a decrease in function that impacts your daily life, you may be a candidate for hip surgery. Arthritis is the most common cause of chronic hip pain, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. Other health conditions that affect the area and may require surgery include trauma from injury, hip dysplasia and other illnesses. 

What Are the Types of Hip Replacement Surgery?

The goal of hip surgery is to relieve pain and restore function. There are two types of hip replacement surgery:

Total hip replacement (hip arthroplasty): In this procedure, both the ball and the socket are replaced with a metal and plastic implant. 

Partial hip replacement (hip hemiarthroplasty): Instead of the ball and socket being replaced, only the ball part of the hip joint is replaced. The damaged bone and cartilage are removed, and the new hip is put on the top of the thigh bone.

Total Hip Replacement Procedure

In a total hip replacement, the patient lies on the unaffected hip. The orthopedic surgeon makes a cut (incision) in the front (anterior) of the leg. This gives the surgeon a clear view of the top of the hip and the femur. The damaged joint is replaced with an artificial hip, made of plastic or ceramic metal. 

This minimally invasive surgery helps most patients recover faster and with less pain, because key muscles are not affected during the surgery. The anterior approach also uses a smaller incision to help reduce scarring.

Partial Hip Replacement Procedure

This type of hip surgery often is used to repair the hip after a fracture (break) or to remove a tumor. Only the damaged portion of the hip is removed and replaced. 

Average recovery time for anterior-approach hip replacement surgery is two to eight weeks, instead of the typical two to four months with conventional surgery.

Which type of surgery you have will depend on many factors, including:

• The severity of your condition
• Your age
• Your general health at the time of surgery
• Your mobility goals

How Do You Know if You Need Hip Replacement Surgery?

While no two bodies are the same, there are some situations that make you more likely to be a good candidate for total hip replacement surgery. Those include:

• Conditions you had at birth (congenital conditions), such as hip dysplasia, that keep your hip from working properly
• Arthritis in the hip, including rheumatoid and osteoarthritis that have worn down the cartilage in the socket
• Hip fracture in the upper part of the thigh bone
• Tumor in the bones or soft tissue of the hip

You may not be a good candidate for total hip replacement if you have:

• Infection in the hip
• Severe obesity
• Severe heart disease
• Severe muscle weakness
• Severe osteoporosis

A total hip replacement is considered the gold standard for hip joint surgery. However, you may not need or be eligible for this type of procedure. You may be a good candidate for a partial hip replacement if you:

• Have had a break in the upper part of the thigh bone
• Do not have underlying conditions such as arthritis
• Have healthy cartilage in the joint

A partial hip replacement is not as consistently successful as a total hip replacement, but your health care team will help make the determination about surgery.

Nonsurgical Treatment for Hip Pain

You may try some lifestyle changes or noninvasive options before choosing surgery. These include:

• Losing weight to relieve some strain on the joint
• Pain medication, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Physical therapy
• Adaptive devices, such as a cane or walker
• Steroid injections. 

After Hip Replacement Surgery

Hip replacement recovery is different for everyone. In general, after a short stay in the hospital, you will continue physical therapy for a few months so you can strengthen and stretch the affected muscles in the hip. Most new hip joints last the rest of the patient’s life. Rarely, a second revision surgery may be necessary. 

Choose Norton Orthopedic Institute for Your Hip or Knee Replacement

• Same-day appointments are available with no referral required. When you’re ready to take care of the pain, you want to get started.
• Schedule your appointments online or call (502) 559-5500.
• Our fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic surgeons have the experience you can trust. They perform more than 800 hip replacements and 1,000 knee replacements every year.
• Robotic-assisted surgeries provide added precision when placing your new joint. This gives a more natural feel that more closely matches your unique anatomy. Minimally invasive techniques get you started on your recovery faster and often allow you to go home the same day as your surgery.
• Choose from 30 locations in Louisville and Southern Indiana for follow-up care.
• Norton Healthcare is the first health system in the nation to be recognized as an Advanced Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence by DNV.
• We help you get ready for surgery and through your recovery with educational programs available online and in person.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.
• Your free Norton MyChart account allows you to communicate with your provider, manage appointments, refill prescriptions and more from a mobile device or computer.