Reasons for a Total Hip Replacement

How can you tell if you need a total hip replacement? Reasons for having this surgery include improving the motion of your hip and relieving pain (typical symptoms of hip arthritis). Hip replacement surgery is often only recommended if non-surgical options, such as medications and physical therapy, have not helped. Another reason to have this surgery is to replace a worn-out hip joint.

 

What Are Common Reasons for a Total Hip Replacement?

Doctors often base recommendations for a total hip replacement on such things as:
 
  • Past medical history
  • Physical exam results
  • Current overall health.
 
Total hip replacement, also called total hip arthroplasty, is a hip replacement surgery that is performed over 100,000 times each year.
 
The main reasons for a total hip replacement are to:
 
  • Replace a worn-out hip joint
  • Improve the motion of your hip
  • Relieve pain.
 
Many conditions can cause your hip joint to wear out. The most common reason is arthritis, which results from either the wear and tear of daily activities over time or from inflammatory diseases.
 

Alternatives to a Total Hip Replacement

Your doctor will usually first recommend non-surgical treatment methods for decreasing the symptoms of a worn-out joint before suggesting a total hip replacement. These can include:
 
  • Medication
  • Changes in activity or activity levels
  • Steroid injections into the hip
  • Physical therapy.
     
If these methods have been unsuccessful in relieving your symptoms, your doctor will most likely recommend a total hip replacement.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD