What's the Best Age for a Hip Replacement?

While the goal is to preserve your joints for as long as possible, there may come a time when one presents more of a liability than an asset, which can certainly be true of your hip joint. In these cases, joint replacement is an exceptionally effective option thanks to advanced surgical techniques and materials that go the distance. 

At Spine and Orthopedic Center of New Mexico, under the direction of board-certified and fellowship-trained surgeon Dr. Omar N. Osmani, our team offers hip replacement surgery to our patients, allowing them to regain the freedom of pain-free movement.

To explore whether hip replacement is right for you, and at what age, read on.

Behind those aching hips

Your hips are some of the largest joints in your body, which makes sense given all that they’re tasked with — providing you with support, mobility, and range of motion. Unfortunately, because of this enormous workload, these ball-and-socket joints are more prone to wear-and-tear diseases like osteoarthritis. As well, previous hip injuries, such as a fracture, can lead to post-traumatic arthritis. Rounding out the arthritis issues are autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, which can wreak havoc on the linings inside your joint.

What all of these forms of arthritis have in common is that they lead to pain and inflammation in your hip joints, which can limit your life in some very significant ways. Not to mention, arthritis is generally progressive and there’s no cure for these types of joint disease.

The end result is that you’re left with a hip (or hips) that can’t keep up with your normal level of activity.

Advances make hip replacement an option for many

Because many of the conditions that lead to the need for a hip replacement are progressive, the conditions worsen with age, which is why hip replacement surgery is more common among people over the age of 60. 

As well, the medical world used to shy away from joint replacement in younger demographics since replacement components wore down more quickly, especially among more active patients, requiring a second surgery.

Today, with the introduction of new materials, there’s a 90% chance that your hip replacement will go 20 years or longer. In fact, a further study found that an appreciable number of hip replacements in adults younger than 50 were still viable after 35 years.

Our use of minimally invasive surgical techniques makes hip replacement a good option at different age levels. Rather than open surgery, we only need to make small incisions to replace the components in your hip, thanks to a special camera and instruments that allow us to work remotely. This means that there’s less collateral tissue damage, which reduces both your risks and your recovery time.

Your hips, your call

So, to answer the question posed in the title of this blog, there is no “best” age for a hip replacement, as each case has its own unique considerations and circumstances. The bottom line is that whether you’re an athletic 40-year-old or a more sedentary 80-year-old if your aching hips are having a serious impact on your quality of life, you should consider replacement as one of your options.

Of course, we’re here to guide you, and we can make a recommendation based on a thorough evaluation and your goals. To explore whether a hip replacement is right for you, please contact our office in Roswell, New Mexico, to set up an appointment. Just call us or use our handy online booking tool.