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Life After Hip Surgery

Once you have completed the post-operative rehabilitation process, you should have near normal range of movement and adequate strength in your hip to perform most activities of daily living.

Activities to Avoid

Because total hip arthroplasty is one of the most successful procedures in modern medicine, you can expect to return to a high level of function. However, special precautions should be taken by people with hip replacements.

You should avoid high impact activities as running, vigorous walking, downhill skiing, or other high impact activities. Be careful when lifting heavy objects and continue to follow the basic total hip precautions as stated in the rehabilitation page.

Patients having total hip replacement surgery have successfully returned to such activities as walking, driving, swimming, golf, doubles tennis, stationary cycling, and gardening.

Remember to listen to what your body tells you. If you begin to have pain or swelling for over 24-48 hours, contact your healthcare professional for advice.

How long will your implant last

It is difficult to predict the length of time a total hip implant will last as its lifespan depends on many factors. Unfortunately, surgical complications can occur and in some cases implants last only a short time. However, the vast majority of implants last for years, providing patients with pain relief and improved function. By following hip precautions and moderating your activity level, you may enhance the function and longevity of your artificial hip.

Surgeons, researchers and implant manufacturers continue to work diligently to improve both the short term and long term outcomes of total hip replacement. For example, Oxinium technology from Smith & Nephew is a new high performance material shown to reduce acetabular component wear by as much as 60-percent. Less implant wear may extend the life of the implant and reduce the need for future corrective surgeries.

For more information about Oxinium technology, visit www.StrongAsAnOx.com Back to Top | Next Topic

Some Content Courtesy of Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics