Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we had a crystal ball that could predict how life would look like weeks, months or years after a surgical procedure? While nobody has a crystal ball, medical experts are always looking to better understand what factors suggest a person may have an ideal or suboptimal recovery after certain procedures. When it comes to hip replacement, experts believe they’ve found one factor that can be pretty predictive as to whether or not someone will thrive following their hip replacement procedure. In today’s blog, we explore what factor can help predict your outcome following hip replacement surgery.
Predictive Factor For Best Results After Hip Replacement
Before we dive into the predictive factor at the heart of the study, know that a lot more will go into the success of your hip replacement procedure and rehabilitation than this one factor. Having good marks in this factor doesn’t guarantee success, just like having a low score doesn’t mean you’re destined for failure. The surgeon you choose, the effort you put into rehab and your commitment to making the strongest recovery will all have a major impact on whether or not you’ll thrive after hip replacement, so make sure you focus on the controllable factors before and after your procedure.
With all that said, researchers recently looked at a number of different factors to see if they could pinpoint something that helped to predict whether or not a person would make substantial physical gains following their hip replacement surgery. They found that walking speed prior to hip replacement was correlated to patient function following the procedure.
Preoperative gait speed is an excellent reflection of a number of key hip factors, including strength, flexibility and overall function. Researchers found that patients who registered a walking speed of at least 1.0 meters per second prior to their hip replacement operation were much more likely to have a stronger surgery and recovery outcome than those who could not reach that threshold, Working to maintain or improve your walking speed to 1.0 m/s could make it easier for you to achieve favorable results following your hip replacement procedure.
We understand that walking is probably a bit uncomfortable, especially if you’re in the market for a new hip, but it’s imperative that you work to improve or maintain hip function in the days and weeks leading up to your procedure. We always tell patients that the stronger you are heading into your surgery, the stronger you’ll be coming out of it, and this study helps to prove that point. Consider some pre-habiliation exercises or strive to lose some weight to take stress off your hip, and there’s a good chance that your walking speed will improve before you have your hip replaced.
Contact Dr. Botero – Hip Replacement Surgeon
Let Dr. Botero and his team help you regain strength, function and mobility in your hip region. Whether that’s through a hip replacement procedure or a care routine rooted in conservative techniques, we want to help find the right treatment for your unique needs. For more information, or for help with a specific knee or hip issue that you’re dealing with, reach out to Dr. Botero’s office today at (865) 558-4444.
