There is no official cut-off age for getting a hip replacement. In fact, trends indicate that hip replacements have a higher success rate in older patients than younger ones! This means, as long as patients are healthy, hip replacements are possible well past the 75 – 79 age bracket.
UH orthopedic surgeon Steven Fitzgerald, MD, says there is no upper age limit for knee and hip replacement surgery. A patient's overall health is the main consideration. “The oldest hip I replaced in the last 10 years was in a man who was 100 years old,” Dr. Fitzgerald says.
Without a hip replacement, weak hip muscles and joint stiffness could lead to a noticeable limp. Significant muscle loss associated with delayed hip replacement may result in a longer recovery time.
People with the following conditions may not be good candidates for a hip replacement: Hip infection or sepsis. Morbid obesity. Remote, ongoing infection.
There are painkillers which are available off the shelf, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which may require a prescription. Other things to try which can help to ease pain, include: Using a heat pad or hot water bottle. Using an ice pad or cold compress.
Where do you feel pain if you need a hip replacement? Many people suffer from hip discomfort around the thigh, buttock or groin area. This is often exacerbated by the common daily activities we talked about above.
Pain that flares up with vigorous activity. Stiffness in the hip joint that makes it difficult to walk or bend. "Locking" or "sticking" of the joint, and a grinding noise (crepitus) during movement caused by loose fragments of cartilage and other tissue interfering with the smooth motion of the hip.
While hip replacement surgery isn't considered a risky procedure, as with any major operation, there are risks of complications. Among the most common for hip replacement patients is the risk of blood clots. These are often found in the legs (Deep Vein Thrombosis) or in the lungs (Pulmonary embolus).
As for the maximum BMI for hip replacement, the current standard lies at 40. Anyone exceeding a BMI of 40 (Obese Class III) is not considered an ideal candidate for surgery and is not recommended to undergo hip replacement.
While doctors can't reverse cartilage loss, there are ways to improve pain and prevent further damage.
Around three months after your hip operation, most things will go back to normal, and the pain goes away for most people. You need to look out for signs of complications and continue being careful with how you move your hip. After 6 to 12 months, the recovery is considered complete.
End-stage arthritis is the progressive wearing down of the cartilage that is present between the bones of a joint causing the bones to come in contact with each other and painfully rub against each other during movement of the joint. This results in severe pain with loss of movement and function.
Most hip replacement patients are able to walk within the same day or next day of surgery; most can resume normal routine activities within the first 3 to 6 weeks of their total hip replacement recovery. Once light activity becomes possible, it's important to incorporate healthy exercise into your recovery program.
Three Pros of Hip Replacement
The success rate for this surgery is excellent, with greater than 95% of patients experiencing hip pain relief. The success rate of hip replacements after ten years from surgery is 90-95%, and 80-85% after 20 years.
The study put people through a 12-week exercise program. Six years later, they were 44 percent less likely to need hip replacement compared with a control group that did not exercise. Exercise can help strengthen the muscles that support your hips. It also may help you keep range of motion in your hips.
Your doctor might recommend hip replacement if: You have very bad pain, and other treatments have not helped. You have lost a large amount of cartilage. Your hip pain is keeping you from being active enough to keep up your strength, flexibility, balance, or endurance.
Functional leg length discrepancy occurs when the patient perceives the limb to be shorter or longer without actual change in limb length. Majority of the leg length discrepancies after hip replacement surgery resolve in 3-6 months.
Your artificial hip will never be as stable as a normal healthy hip so you must learn to avoid certain movements. Another difference is that the synovial fluid produced in the natural hip joint, acts as a lubricant. In the artificial joint, smooth gliding action depends on evenly honed surfaces.
Most people will fully recover from hip replacement surgery within a few months to a year, but recovery times vary for each patient. Expect about one to four days of bed rest immediately after surgery, but physical rehabilitation usually starts the same day as your procedure.
Walking is good for hip pain and you should try to walk as much as you can each day. You'll find that in time and with consistency, your hip pain will diminish, and in a best case scenario, it will disappear altogether.
Patients with moderate hip arthritis can enjoy the benefits of a low-impact exercises like walking, some of which are: Keeping joints lubricated. If the hip joint is lubricated, it eases pain and makes it easier for the hip to move.
You may feel some pain in the buttock, groin, back, thigh or knee. If you experience these for longer than 6 weeks, you may need to speak to a healthcare professional. Occasionally, problems felt in your hip can be due to a back problem - even though you don't feel pain in your back.