What are Hip Precautions?
The term “hip precautions” simply means that there are certain movement that a surgeon wants a patient to avoid after their hip surgery to reduce the risk dislocation and the likelihood of having to return to the operating room for repair. Your precautions will vary depending on which approach the surgeon uses to repair or replace your hip. There are two common types of total hip replacement surgery: the posterior approach and the anterior approach.
The Posterior Hip-Replacement Approach
The most common method is the posterior approach in which the surgeon makes the incision on the back of the hip. “Posterior” means back or behind. If you have had a hip replacement using this posterior approach your precautions will be:
No hip flexion (bending more than 90 degrees at the hip). This includes both bending over to pick something up off the floor and picking your knee up above the height of your waist.
No hip adduction (crossing your legs).
No internal rotation (no turning feet inward).
Avoid the figure-four position. This is not always an official precaution, but this motion involves several complex movements of the hip joint including hip flexion and external rotation which should be avoided.
The Anterior Hip-Replacement Approach
In contrast, if you incision is on front side of the hip, the surgeon utilized the anterior approach. “Anterior” means front. Just as the approach methods differ, the hip precautions after surgery also differ. If you have had a hip replacement using the anterior approach, your precautions will be:
No hip extension (moving your leg backward).
No hip external rotation (no turning your feet outward).
Avoid the figure-four position. This is not always an official precaution, but this motion involves several complex movements of the hip joint including hip flexion and external rotation which should be avoided.
If you are scheduled to have surgery that will result in having hip precautions, this may have an impact on how you go about your daily routine. This will impact the way that you accomplish tasks such as putting on your socks, how to get in and out of bed, and how to dress yourself appropriately. A doctor may prescribe occupational and/or physical therapy to assist with learning new ways to accomplish these tasks. If you have questions, you have the option to request an occupational or physical therapy evaluation from your physician if you have not already been referred. For more information, visit our other blogs on “How do I Get Dressed with Hip Precautions?” and “What is a Hip Kit?” to learn more. Also check out our YouTube Video “What are Hip Precautions?” for a more visual demonstration, as well as our video “Hip Kit” video series to learn how to use different types of adaptive equipment to help with lower body self care after a hip replacement.
* This blog was written with the assistance of Brittany Buck, OTS student with Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Master’s of Occupational Therapy Program.
