If arthritis hip pain stops you from enjoying an active life, a hip replacement can help put that pain behind you.

About 300,000 Americans have total hip replacements each year. Most spend just one night in the hospital. With advances in techniques and implants, about 80 to 85 percent of hip replacements last 20 years or even longer. In fact, joint replacements are considered to be among the most effective surgeries in all of medicine.

Orthopedic surgeons at Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento (SMCS) specialize in advanced hip replacement techniques that can help ease hip pain and restore mobility in people with severe arthritis. In 2020, U.S. News and World Report ranked the hospital as “high-performing” in both hip and knee replacement surgery, giving it the top ranking of 5/5.

If you’ve tried alternatives to hip replacement without success, talk to a doctor about this common hip surgery.

Connect With an Orthopedic Specialist

Depending on your health condition, orthopedic specialists may use the newer anterior approach to hip surgery or the traditional posterior approach. We also offer computer-aided technology, which can help orthopedic specialists give you a more precise and personalized joint replacement. These systems make 3D images of the unique shapes and profiles of your knee, and help guide the surgery. This technology helps surgeons determine the right the size and position for your implant, which is critical to hip alignment and stability.

Anterior Hip Replacements

Anterior hip replacements allow the orthopedic surgeon to reach the hip joint from the front of the hip instead of through the buttocks. This approach allows the surgeon to cut less muscle, which can result in earlier and easier recovery. In addition, there may be less risk of dislocating the new hip prosthesis when placed via the anterior approach, since the muscles used to support the hip joint remain strong.

Posterior Hip Replacements

Posterior hip replacements are still often the preferred technique for large or muscular people because additional soft tissue can make it hard for a surgeon to access the hip joint.

Orthopedic surgeons have a direct and clear path to the hip with the posterior approach. The orthopedic specialist splits the muscles along the planes of their fibers at the back of the hip, and can easily access the hip joint. The muscles are repaired and reattached at the end of the surgery.

Get more details about Total Hip Replacements.

Watch this animation of a Hip Replacement.

Your New Hip Joint

Regardless of the technique, all hip replacements involve replacing the stem (the long end of the bone) and the acetabular “cup” of your hip joint with artificial joints. The artificial femoral stem is often made of titanium or cobalt chrome and is inserted into the hollow of your femur bone. The cups are often made of polyethylene, a form of plastic. The pieces are held in place either by cement or by “ingrowth” technology, in which the bone grows between small beads or mesh on the surface of the prosthetics.

After Your Hip Replacement

Typically people spend one to two nights in the hospital after hip replacement, but if you are healthy, strong and have support at home, your orthopedic surgeon may recommend outpatient surgery.

Most people can walk normally – without an assistive device – three to six weeks after surgery, and can resume normal activities in six to 12 weeks. Recovery of full strength is gradual and may take six to 12 months.