After you have hip replacement surgery, you will need to be careful how you move your hip, especially for the first few months after surgery. In time, you should be able to return to your previous level of activity. But even when you do your everyday activities, you will need to move carefully so that you do not dislocate your hip.
You will need to learn exercises make your new hip stronger.
After you fully recover from surgery, you should not downhill ski or do contact sports, such as football and soccer. You should be able to do low impact activities, such as hiking, gardening, swimming, playing tennis, and golfing.
Some general rules for any activity you do are:
When you are getting dressed:
When you are sitting:
When you are bathing or showering:
When you are using stairs:
When you are lying in bed:
When you are getting into or riding in a car:
Do NOT drive until your doctor says it is okay.
When you are walking:
Hip arthroplasty - precautions; Hip replacement - precautions
Minns Lowe CJ, Barker KL, Dewey ME, Sackley CM. Effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise following hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: a systematic review of clinical trials. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2009 Aug 4;10:98.
Ververeli PA, Lebby EB, Tyler C, Fouad C. Evaluation of reducing postoperative hip precautions in total hip replacement: a randomized prospective study. Orthopedics. 2009 Dec;32(12):889-93.
Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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