I am in my 60’s and have had constant hip pain for a long time now. I’ve never really looked into fixing it until now because my pain is starting to interfere with even my walking. My surgeon says that I am probably looking at a total joint replacement. Can you tell me how I will be limited in the future if I decide to get a new hip?  

The two major predictors for eventual need of a hip replacement are increased age and a chondral injury. The good news is that there are good to excellent outcomes with pain relief. Total hip replacements are continuously evolving with technique and material choices which is further extending the life of the replacement.   People can be limited in their activity choices.  Surgeons caution against partaking in high-impact activities like jogging and contact sports.  Activities that are allowed include: golf, biking, doubles tennis, weight lifting, swimming, bowling, Pilates, ice skating, cross-country or downhill skiing, low-impact aerobics.