My 15-year-old daughter just had surgery on her hip to fix a dysplasia. She is refusing to do her physiotherapy exercises. She says she doesn’t feel like it. Will this have a big effect on her recovery?

Surgery for hip dysplasia (the top of the thigh bone not fitting properly into the socket) can only correct the mechanics of the problem. The muscles around the hip are affected by both the initial displacement and the surgery itself. As the muscles heal, they will only be able to do what is demanded of them, so if your daughter does not do her exercises, they cannot strengthen as they could.

Not doing physiotherapy exercises can delay her recovery and make recovery more difficult.