Recovery guide
Hip replacement recovery timeline
Most people recover from a hip replacement faster than they expect. Here is what the first year usually looks like, with the caveat that everyone heals at their own pace.
The short answer
- Most people walk with a walker or crutches on the day of surgery or the next day, and many go home within a day.31,46
- Most move to a cane within a few weeks and return to light daily activities by about six weeks.46
- Braking ability returns to normal by about six weeks after surgery on average.29
- Improvement continues for months; most people feel the full benefit by about a year.
Day of surgery to day 2
- A physical therapist helps you stand and walk with a walker, often the same day.46
- You'll learn how to get in and out of bed, use the toilet and climb a few steps safely.
- Blood clot prevention starts: medicine, moving your ankles, and walking.12,13
- In selected patients, going home the same day is as safe as staying overnight.31
Weeks 1 to 2
- Walk short distances often, several times a day, using your walker or crutches.
- Do the exercises your therapist gives you. Some people do therapy at home, others go to an outpatient clinic.
- Pain and swelling in the thigh are expected. See pain and swelling.
- Keep the incision clean and dry and follow your team's instructions for showering.
Weeks 3 to 6
- Many people move from a walker to a cane.46
- Driving often becomes possible in this window, once you're off strong pain medicine and can brake firmly. See driving.29,30
- Desk-based work is often possible. See returning to work.
- If you were given hip precautions, your surgeon will tell you when they end. See hip precautions.
Months 2 to 3
- Most people walk without an aid and are back to most daily activities.46
- Low-impact exercise such as walking, cycling and swimming (once the wound is healed) usually fits here. Ask your surgeon about higher-impact sports.
Up to a year
Strength, stamina and comfort keep improving for months. Most people are very happy with their new hip, but a minority have lasting pain, so tell your team if progress stalls.5
Call 911 for chest pain, sudden shortness of breath or coughing blood, which can be signs of a clot in the lungs.
Call your surgeon's office the same day for: calf pain or swelling, fever or chills, wound redness or drainage, or sudden severe hip pain, a clunk, or a leg that looks shorter or turned, which can mean dislocation.
Sources
- Beswick AD, et al. What proportion of patients report long-term pain after total hip or knee replacement for osteoarthritis? A systematic review of prospective studies in unselected patients. BMJ Open. 2012;2(1):e000435. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000435
- Sidhu VS, et al. Effect of aspirin vs enoxaparin on symptomatic venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty: the CRISTAL randomized trial. JAMA. 2022;328(8):719-727. doi:10.1001/jama.2022.13416
- Salazar CA, et al. Direct factor Xa inhibitors versus low molecular weight heparins or vitamin K antagonists for prevention of venous thromboembolism in elective primary hip or knee replacement or hip fracture repair. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025;1(1):CD011762. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011762.pub2
- Patel PV, et al. Doctor when can I drive? A systematic review and meta-analysis of return to driving after total hip arthroplasty. Hip Int. 2023;33(1):17-27. doi:10.1177/1120700021998028
- DiSilvestro KJ, et al. When can I drive after orthopaedic surgery? A systematic review. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2016;474(12):2557-2570. doi:10.1007/s11999-016-5007-9
- Bemelmans YFL, et al. Safety and efficacy of outpatient hip and knee arthroplasty: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2022;142(8):1775-1791. doi:10.1007/s00402-021-03811-5
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo. Total hip replacement. orthoinfo.org/bodypart/hip-thigh/total-hip-replacement