| Hip replacement is one of the most successful | | | | you want to lean forward, take your feet down |
| medical technologies. Hundreds of thousands of | | | | first.5. Avoid rotating with your weight on the new |
| people have their hips replaced every year, the vast | | | | joint. This is similar to point 3 above. Standing on your |
| majority with every expectation of many years of | | | | replaced hip and swinging your bodyweight around |
| pain-free function from their new joint.But can you | | | | puts huge leverages on the hip. Get used to moving |
| go on with your life just the same after your hip is | | | | your legs to get into a new position, leading with the |
| replaced? Not exactly. Even though your pain will be | | | | replaced one.6. Take care when sitting down. The |
| gone, it is wise to remember that a new hip is not | | | | correct technique will soon become automatic, but |
| your old hip. You will find you can go back to do all | | | | sitting down can be a risk. When we sit, our body |
| the things you used to do, the walking, the activities, | | | | weight forces our hips into a new position. This is fine |
| the hobbies and the jobs, without pain. But it's useful | | | | as long as it does not happen too fast or go too far. |
| to observe a few thoughts about your new hip if | | | | Sitting onto an unexpectedly deep sofa would be an |
| you are going to get the best long term use from | | | | example of an risky scenario. Know your chair heights |
| it.Your new hip is different. It is steel alloy and plastic, | | | | so you don't get surprises, with 18 inches being a |
| the ball of the hip being much smaller than your | | | | minimum. Chairs with arms are best as they allow you |
| original one. The steel thigh component is often | | | | to let yourself down in a controlled way.7. Avoid high |
| cemented into the shaft of the femur. The metal | | | | impact activities. I know you want to do things you |
| and plastic parts bend in different ways to the bone | | | | haven't been able to, but there is a price to be paid |
| into which they are inserted, setting up stresses | | | | for having an artificial joint, if you want it to last. |
| across the junctions. The artificial materials do not | | | | What you can do with it and what you should do are |
| have the ability to become inflamed and then heal like | | | | two quite different things.Avoid sports and activities |
| our own tissues, so if they become altered then | | | | such as running and jumping, carrying heavy weights, |
| they will either stay that way or worsen.You want to | | | | repetitive heavy work, football, rugby, soccer, |
| ensure a long, pain-free life for your hip replacement. | | | | squash, downhill skiing and anything else which |
| Revision surgery, where the hip is redone, is not the | | | | requires extreme joint stresses. You really want your |
| same as the original surgery in many ways. Apart | | | | joint to last more than twenty years. Invest the care |
| from the fact that it is another operation to undergo | | | | in it and it will.Suitable activities could include walking, |
| with its attendant risks, revision surgery is harder to | | | | cycling, swimming, bowls, cross-country skiing, |
| perform and the satisfaction scores of patients | | | | amongst others. Take advice if you are unsure.For |
| afterwards are lower than with first time surgery. | | | | more detail about what goes on in the interfaces |
| First time is best.There are things you can do to | | | | between the metal, bone and cement, see The 5 |
| keep your new joint in good shape for as long as | | | | facts of implant fixation.8. Avoid crossing your legs |
| possible:1. Observe the post-operative advice. The | | | | when you sit. This puts the hip into a more vulnerable |
| team who take you through the procedure are | | | | position and should certainly be avoided during the |
| experts at getting the best results. If they ask you | | | | first three months after surgery. Many people do |
| to do this or to avoid that, then observe their | | | | cross their legs later on without ill effects but it |
| recommendations. There are always good reasons | | | | remains a risk to some extent.7. Avoid bending over |
| behind treatment programs, along with many years | | | | rapidly. This can cause impingement on the socket |
| of experience. Use this knowledge.2. Observe the | | | | like leaning forward too far, and risks dislocation. |
| weight-bearing instructions. Every operation is | | | | Using a long handled reacher and a long shoe horn |
| different and there may be different instructions for | | | | can be sensible.8. If you get an infection, tell your |
| you depending on how the surgery went and what | | | | doctor straight away. Infection is the single biggest |
| the surgeon hopes to achieve. Sticking to the | | | | risk for successful joint replacements. Infections such |
| recommended weight through your joint is very | | | | as teeth, urinary or chest can spread to an artificial |
| important. You may well find you can put much | | | | joint via the bloodstream, either in illness or during a |
| greater weight, even your whole bodyweight, on the | | | | procedure. Consult your doctor or dentist and get |
| new hip. However, what you can do and what is | | | | the problem sorted early on. This applies no matter |
| wise are two different things, so pay attention to | | | | how old your replacement is.9. Enjoy yourself! Despite |
| the instruction and carry it out until told otherwise.3. | | | | these restrictions, the positive aspects of joint |
| Avoid getting your thigh too close to your chest. The | | | | replacement vastly outweigh the negative ones, so |
| angle between the chest and the thigh should not be | | | | go on, enjoy all the things you've wanted to do, |
| less than 90 degrees. If your new hip bends too | | | | without the pain.Even though these precautions are |
| much, the neck of the thigh component can impinge | | | | mostly more important during the initial 6 to 12 |
| against the plastic socket component, levering the hip | | | | weeks after surgery, they remain sensible guidance |
| out of the socket. This is called dislocation and is | | | | over the long term.Jonathan Blood Smyth is |
| potentially a significant problem as it can then recur. | | | | Superintendent Physiotherapist in an NHS Hospital in |
| When you reach down to your shoes, let your knee | | | | the South-West of the UK. He has over 15 years |
| fall outwards so you reach down between your legs, | | | | experience of managing orthopaedic conditions and |
| and do it slowly until you feel secure.4. Watch putting | | | | looking after joint replacements. He specializes in the |
| your feet up. You may feel you want to put your | | | | management of chronic pain conditions and is the |
| feet up for a rest or to reduce swelling. This is fine | | | | author of the "Secrets of Pacing for Chronic Pain. |
| as long as you don't lean forward for something. If | | | | |