| What We Treat
Hip Replacement
Preparing for a hip replacement, or recovering from one? Hip replacements have among the highest satisfaction rates of any operation — and recovery is usually quicker and more straightforward than a knee.
Overview
What Is a Hip Replacement?
A total hip replacement replaces the worn ball at the top of the thigh bone and resurfaces the socket, restoring a smooth-running joint. It is frequently described as one of the most successful operations in medicine, with high satisfaction rates and implants that commonly last twenty years or more. Recovery is generally faster than knee replacement, though the muscles around the hip take several months to rebuild properly.
Prehabilitation
Build strength and prepare practically
- Strengthening the hip, thigh and trunk muscles, which speeds early recovery
- Practising walking with crutches before you need to rely on them
- Home preparation — chair and bed height, removing trip hazards, arranging equipment
- Learning any movement precautions your surgeon uses, which vary by approach
Tap through the phases. Gluteal strength is what removes the limp.
Symptoms
What to Expect Afterwards
Knowing what’s normal in the first months prevents a lot of unnecessary alarm:
Rapid Pain Relief
The arthritic groin pain is often gone immediately, which many people find remarkable.
Different Surgical Pain
New pain around the wound and muscles, quite distinct from the pain you had before.
Thigh and Groin Aching
Aching with activity for several months as the muscles and bone adapt to the implant.
A Limp
Common early on from gluteal weakness. It usually resolves with strengthening rather than time alone.
Leg Length Sensation
A feeling that the leg is longer is common early and usually settles as the pelvis and muscles adjust.
Swelling and Bruising
Swelling down the thigh and into the knee is normal for several weeks.
Causes & Risk Factors
What Influences the Outcome
Several factors affect how quickly and how completely you recover.
Pre-Operative Strength and Function
Better strength and walking ability before surgery consistently predicts faster recovery afterwards.
Gluteal Rehabilitation
Abductor weakness is the most common reason for a persistent limp, and it responds to specific strengthening.
Surgical Approach
Anterior and posterior approaches differ in early recovery pattern and in the precautions advised, though longer-term outcomes are broadly similar.
General Health
Diabetes, smoking and body weight influence wound healing, infection risk and recovery speed.
Activity Levels
Staying active protects bone quality around the implant and maintains balance, reducing fall risk.
How We Can Help You
Treatment & Management
The pain relief from a hip replacement is often immediate. The strength takes months, and that’s the part rehabilitation is for.
What the evidence says
Total hip replacement produces large and durable improvements in pain and function, with satisfaction rates consistently reported above 90 percent — higher than for knee replacement. Registry data shows the majority of implants remain in place at fifteen to twenty years.
Hip abductor weakness is common after surgery and is strongly associated with persistent limping and reduced walking speed. Targeted progressive strengthening improves both, and is frequently under-delivered in standard post-operative care.
When to Seek Help
Red Flags — Don’t Ignore These
Most recovery is uneventful. These features need prompt attention:
⚠ Contact your surgical team or seek urgent care if you notice:
- Calf pain, swelling, warmth or redness (possible clot — seek same-day assessment)
- Breathlessness or chest pain (possible pulmonary embolism — call 999)
- Increasing redness, heat, wound discharge, or fever (possible infection — contact your surgical team urgently)
- Sudden severe groin pain with an inability to weight-bear, or the leg appearing shortened or rotated (possible dislocation — attend A&E)
- A sudden increase in pain after a fall, or new pain that is worsening rather than improving
Dislocation and infection both need urgent assessment. Pain that is worsening rather than settling always warrants contacting your surgical team rather than waiting.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until I can walk normally?
Most people walk unaided somewhere between two and six weeks, but walking without a limp often takes longer and depends on rebuilding gluteal strength. A limp that persists past three months is usually a strength problem rather than a healing problem, and it responds to targeted work.
What movements do I need to avoid?
It depends on your surgical approach, so follow what your surgeon specified. Posterior approaches traditionally restrict deep bending, crossing the legs and inward rotation for the first six to twelve weeks. Anterior approaches often have fewer restrictions. Precautions have become less rigid in recent years.
Will one leg feel longer?
A sensation of leg length difference is common in the first weeks and usually settles as the pelvis and soft tissues adapt. A genuine measurable difference is less common, and where it exists a small shoe raise usually resolves it. It’s worth mentioning at review rather than enduring.
What can I go back to?
Walking, cycling, swimming, golf, bowls and gardening are generally encouraged and good for you. Running and high-impact sport are usually discouraged to limit wear. Most surgeons are happy with a full and active life, and staying active is protective.
Get the Strength Back, Not Just the Joint
Preparation before surgery, and the gluteal strengthening afterwards that removes the limp and restores your confidence.
Book Your Initial AssessmentThis page is for general information only and isn’t a substitute for individual medical advice. If you’re experiencing any of the warning signs above, contact your GP or seek emergency medical care as appropriate.