For active adults and athletes living with hip pain, traditional total hip replacement can sometimes feel like the end of the road for the sports and activities they love. But thanks to modern orthopedic innovations, that’s no longer the case. Hip resurfacing offers a bone-preserving alternative designed to relieve pain, restore natural movement, and help you return to an active lifestyle faster. Here’s everything you need to know.
Reshaping, Not Replacing: The Science Behind Hip Resurfacing
Hip resurfacing is a joint preservation procedure that replaces only the damaged surface of the hip joint rather than the entire femoral head. While the socket component is similar to conventional hip replacement, the femoral head is reshaped and capped with a smooth, metal covering. Unlike traditional hip replacement, this approach keeps more of the patient’s natural bone intact and can make future revisions easier if ever needed.
For athletes and younger, active individuals, this technique is often an alternative to conventional total hip replacement. By maintaining the bone’s natural shape and biomechanics, hip resurfacing allows for greater stability, flexibility, and endurance after recovery.
Key Benefits of Hip Resurfacing for Active Patients
Hip resurfacing offers several distinct advantages that appeal to athletic and high-demand patients:
- Bone Preservation: The procedure saves most of the patient’s natural femoral bone, which is particularly valuable for younger or active patients who may need a future revision.
- Improved Range of Motion: Many patients experience a more natural joint feel and greater flexibility compared to traditional hip replacement.
- Reduced Risk of Dislocation: The larger ball size used in resurfacing provides improved joint stability, helping prevent dislocations during sports or intense activities.
- Faster Return to Activity: Most patients can return to light activities within weeks and resume more strenuous exercise or sports within months under proper supervision.
For athletes, this combination of stability, mobility, and bone conservation makes hip resurfacing a preferred option for maintaining peak performance and long-term joint health.
Ideal Candidates for Hip Resurfacing
Not everyone is an ideal candidate for hip resurfacing, but certain individuals are more likely to benefit from this bone-preserving procedure. Typically, the best candidates are younger than 60 years old, physically active or athletic, and experiencing hip arthritis or cartilage damage without significant bone loss. These individuals often seek a treatment option that allows them to maintain a high level of activity while preserving as much of their natural bone as possible.
However, patients with weaker bone quality, such as those with osteoporosis, may not be suitable for hip resurfacing since strong, healthy bone is essential for supporting the metal cap and ensuring long-term stability. A thorough evaluation, including imaging and bone density assessment, helps determine whether this procedure is the right choice for each patient.
Recovery and Rehabilitation
Recovery after hip resurfacing is typically faster than traditional hip replacement. Patients begin walking soon after surgery and progress through a tailored physical therapy program that focuses on rebuilding strength, flexibility, and joint control. Most patients resume driving within 2–4 weeks and gradually return to athletic activities over the next few months.
With expert care and guided rehabilitation, many athletes return to running, cycling, swimming, and other high-impact sports with less pain or restrictions.
A Proven, Bone-Preserving Option for Active Lifestyles
While hip resurfacing isn’t a new procedure, it continues to be a valuable, bone-preserving option, especially with today’s advances in surgical precision and implant technology. For active adults and athletes, it offers a natural joint feel, greater stability, and the potential for faster recovery compared to traditional hip replacement.
If hip pain is keeping you from training, competition, or everyday movement, consider scheduling a consultation with the American Hip Institute to learn whether hip resurfacing is the right choice for maintaining your mobility and active lifestyle.
AUTHOR: Benjamin D. Kuhns, MD, MS, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in the comprehensive management of adult hip pain. Dr. Kuhns offers a full spectrum of care, from non-operative treatments—including hip-specific physical therapy, medication management, and targeted injections—to advanced surgical solutions. His surgical expertise includes complex primary and revision hip arthroscopy, open hip preservation procedures such as periacetabular and proximal femoral osteotomies, and robotic-assisted anterior total hip replacement.
AUTHOR: Benjamin G. Domb, M.D., Founder and Medical Director at American Hip Institute, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine and Hip Arthroscopy. Dr. Domb is rated among the Top Doctors in the USA by the NY Times, US News & World Report, and Castle Connolly.
