If you’ve already had a hip replacement or if you’re considering having one, you might be wondering if one day you’ll have to do it all over again. Luckily, for many people, a single hip replacement surgery is all they’ll ever need. Take the quiz below to find out if you’re likely to be a one hip wonder!
Are you just now getting your first hip replacement? If you answered yes, you might not need another one in your lifetime. Today’s prostheses are more long-lasting and durable than their older counterparts, so they are unlikely to wear out from normal wear and tear.
Do you currently have a metal-on-metal prosthetic hip joint? These older types of prostheses have been known to cause inflammation and bone erosion, so you may need to have the joint replaced with a newer prosthesis that uses a plastic acetabular (socket) joint.
Are you relatively young and active? The newer hip joint implants are made to be durable and long-lasting, so most people, even young and active ones, will never need a replacement. But if you regularly engage in sports and activities that stress the joint, there is a chance that it will eventually be pushed past what it was designed to handle.
Have you had your replacement hip for 25 years or more? If you answered yes, you have about a 50% chance of needing a second hip replacement, also called a revision hip replacement. By 25 to 30 years after hip replacement surgery, about half of all prostheses are still working well, the other half aren’t.
Is your hip replacement causing you pain? If so, you may be experiencing aseptic loosening, a condition that occurs when the hip implants become loose within the bone. In these cases a revision hip replacement is necessary. Fractures or infections of the hip joint can also warrant a revision hip replacement.