
28/10/2024
As part of the post surgery rehabilitation of a total hip arthroplasty a set of precautions are given to enable risk free recovery. The delivery of these precautions to the patient is extremely important. If the reason for this caution is not explained fully there is the potential for fear of movement, avoidance of exercise and decreased mobility all of which are essential for recovery.
The fear stems from a thought in the back of the mind that if I go too far the new joint will dislocate and that thought is frightening. However, looking at statistics the risk of dislocation of primary hip replacements ranges from 0.2% to 10% per year.
This is a major surgery with a large amount of tissue repair required in the first 6-8 weeks. The precautions, when followed alongside a rehabilitation programme allow the tissue to heal, adapt and prepare for the increasing load on the road to recovery.