The precautions you need to follow are specific for how your hip surgery was done and will not apply to all the patients. Your surgeon or Physiotherapist may give the patient a list of movements to avoid after your hip surgery in order to minimise the risk of dislocation or other injury to the implant and ensure proper healing.
Precautions typically address one of two issues:
1. Range-of-motion
Some patients may be advised to avoid crossing their legs or bending deeply at the hip >90 degrees adduction past the midline, internal rotation past neutral in order to avoid posterior hip dislocation. This is where the thigh bone is pushed backwards out of its socket.
Such movements/positions include:
Sitting in low chairs/couches. This means sitting in chairs where your hips are above your knees.
Sitting with your legs crossed
Bringing your knee to your chest to put shoes/socks on
Sitting down in a bath
Bending forward at the hips to the ground
Sleeping on your side
2. Weight-bearing
Some patients may be told to use crutches or a walker for a period of time (often 6 weeks) if there are concerns about the healing potential of the hip replacement. This allows time for the bone to heal to the implant before too much force (of the full body weight) is placed on the healing bones. This will vary between partial weight bearing, non-weight bearing, protected or toe-touch weight bearing.
Below are some tips to help reduce the risk while performing daily tasks
Getting in and out of bed:
Getting out of bed: lead with your operated leg, use your other leg as support underneath if needed
Getting into bed: Lean back and lift your legs into bed using you unoperated leg for support underneath
Getting Dressed:
Dress the operated leg first and undress last. Use a dressing aid on the outside of your leg to avoid leaning forward too much. Use a shoehorn to help with shoes.
Getting on/off a chair/toilet:
Place your operated leg ahead of your unoperated leg when you sit and stand. This avoids too much hip flexion. Use your arms for assistance as required.
Sleeping:
Preferable to sleep on your back if you can manage it
Use a pillow between your legs for sleeping for approximately one month after discharge.
Stairs:
Ascending: GAS: Good leg - Affected leg - Stick
Descending: SAG: Stick - Affected leg - Good leg
References
NHS, 2018, Recovery - Hip Replacement, viewed 22 December 2020, <https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hip-replacement/recovery/ >
Orthoinfo, 2018, Activities after Hip Replacement, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, viewed 22 December 2020
Versus Arthritis 2018, Hip Replacement Surgery, viewed 18 December 2020,