Anyone here had a bad hip replaced?

R

R18Civic

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Jan 14, 2017
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I'm 37 years old but 5 years ago I got struck by a car while crossing the street and ended up busted up pretty badly.

Fast forward 3 years, I had already settled the case with the drivers insurance and I started a new job where I would be on my feet all day. In the last 2 years I've had a lot of left hip/back and right ankle pain. I finally said enough is enough and got my pcp to send me to an ortho. What we found out so far is my left hip is basically bone of bone most of the time (moderate to severe cartilage loss/osteoarthritis) and my back is strained pretty much constantly for some reason. I just had an MRI done on my right ankle after xrays showed nothing and inserts did nothing.

I'm doing PT for my hip and it doesn't seem to be working. The PT said the muscles around my left hip and tight and tensed up quite a bit but didn't really explain why. They just massage them for about 10 minutes and put a hot compress on them.

If all of this stuff doesn't work I'm going to need a new hip between now and 20 years years from now.

Anyone who isn't in their 60s dealt with this before? 20 years of hip pain seems a bit unbearable to me.
 
I've known a few people with total hip replacements. The stuff they are doing today is amazing. I am not sure how long the results last, and some are more successful than others.
Good luck. Talk to several Doctors.
 
What is your ortho saying about hip replacement? I had my right hip replaced 7 years ago (arthritis) and my ortho was slightly hesitant because I was "young". I was 54. He also advised that, if I had the means, to take a year off to recover. I was a mechanic, so I just retired on disability. I guess I could find a "desk job" somewhere, but I'm absolutely loving retirement.
 
My wife got one earlier this year. We're both athletic & fit, but one of her hips had a birth defect that gradually worsened over time until last year it was bone on bone. The x-ray pic is cringeworthy even if you're not a doctor! After the surgery the next few days were rough, but after that she recovered quickly. 6 weeks later we went on a trip where she hiked 5 miles one day and 10 the next, no problem. In short, she got her life back and her only regret is that she didn't get it sooner.
 
I had an elderly family practice and had many patients with various kinds of hip surgery. Very good results for the most part - and that was 40 years ago.

Artificial hips last a long time, but not forever. Your surgeon is in the best position to advise you on timing.
 
My wife had both hips replaced two years apart. I thought the recovery went great, she didn't. But she is very impatient. They had her up and walking around within an hour or so and I took her home the same day. Some therapy and a walker. Graduated to crutches. And after that she refused a cane. I had to walk slowly for about two years so she could keep up but now I have trouble keeping up with her. I think it's a miracle what they can do.

I would probably go ahead with the replacement. Who knows what miracles will be possible in twenty or thirty years?
 
I had a Christmas Eve j left hip replaced 17 years ago. I fell on ice on a sidewalk. The first few years were bad with getting stuck and needing help to move. If I was on a ladder and it locked up, I had to wait for somebody to show up and help me get down. I had to take a differs job where I worked. It still gives me pain!! Ok was supposed to get it replaced but some body on a 2 lane road hit me head on at 55mph. I survived, but I had a hernia mesh infection and that delayed surgery for 2 years. Anyway I still have that joint and it has been in there 17 years now. I am 78 now and it might be a hard sell to my insurance and medicare. Hope you have a better time with yours.
 
get good ortho-pedic type shoes/boots check with a specialist ,it helps me as I have a leg amputation and bad foot. I like a hiking boot designed for such issues.
 
OP the biggest piece of advice is to get multiple opinions from various doctors (…at least 3).

I had mine fixed at 41 due to overuse. First off you have to realize the technology has drastically changed in the last 10 years. As great as doctors are some are not using the newest techniques.

Long story short I went to four doctors that said full hip replacement. The fifth doctor did some type of bone density test and basically said there is NO way he was cutting off perfectly good bone for a full replacement hence he capped it. And mine was in very bad shape (rough edges/barely any cartilage). Not to be disrespectful to the other doctors but they balked at that idea.

My doctor has performed the same procedure on active NHL and NFL players but obviously he did not share the names. My best friend recommended the fifth doctor because of his injuries from recreational hockey. And I thank god my friend spoke to me and I didn’t accept the first answer I received.

The more active you become post operation (WITHIN REASON) the quicker you will recover. There is a lot of detailed research on the World Wide Web in regard.

I was mountain biking, hiking, and back to work (physically demanding on my whole body) within 8 months.

The only things I avoid now, as per the doctor is extremely heavy deep hip movement exercises (never did that stuff anyway).
 
My wife had one done at the age of 67 and the second at the age of 73. She had both done the "old way" (posterior). The newer way (less invasive) is anterior. Her doc preferred the posterior. The key is a highly recommended surgeon.
 
Wife had one about 10 years ago and doing good. Family member had one done in his 40's about 20 yrs ago and is doing well.
 
FIL had one done a few years ago at 70 that had been bothering him for years. He had polio as a kid and one leg was slightly shorter which made that hip wear out much quicker. He’s in south Florida where the surgeon does so many on the older folks down there it’s not a big deal. He’s very glad he got it done.
 
A martial arts instructor friend of mine had both hips done in his early 40's. He back teaching and training again. From what I've been told hip replacements are not as bad as knee replacements and the recovery is a lot faster. Good luck!
 
R18Civic said:
Doc is saying replacement hip only lasts 30 years before needing to be replaced so right now is ill advisable
Click to expand...

That doctor is a complete fool in my strong opinion…

You had a severe accident… Which now has caused your hip to be bone on bone at times. It clearly is affecting your quality of life…

Hell Bo Jackson has major hip surgery.. And his was like a car accident except it was from a crazy football injury.

Find another physician.. . Also.. get the skinny if ANY of this potential ortho doctors in your area have ANY issues with post operative infections… HUGE reason why I say that.
 
My FIL had his hip replaced at 70 and was walking 18 holes less than 2 weeks later. His biggest regret was not doing it sooner.

I think hips are in general pretty easy. As a comparison, my 51 year old wife had her knee replaced in February 2025 and that really was horrible. Tremendous pain for weeks although she's already hiking 3-4 miles per day 3x per week without pain so she says now it's worth it.
 
PWMDMD said:
My FIL had his hip replaced at 70 and was walking 18 holes less than 2 weeks later. His biggest regret was not doing it sooner.

I think hips are in general pretty easy. As a comparison, my 51 year old wife had her knee replaced in February 2025 and that really was horrible. Tremendous pain for weeks although she's already hiking 3-4 miles per day 3x per week without pain so she says now it's worth it.
Click to expand...


True…

Hips are way, way, way easier than knee replacements.

The knee being hinge joint makes it far weaker and much more like to have longer healing times.
 
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