ReplacedHip
Last reviewed August 20, 2026Last updated August 20, 2026Editorial responsibility ReplacedHipSources & editorial policy Editorial review — not medical peer review.

Medical information

Hip replacement explained

A simple guide to what is replaced, how the operation works and what happens around surgery.

At a glance

Four ideas to understand first

  1. 01

    The hip is a ball-and-socket joint.

  2. 02

    Total replacement changes the femoral head and the socket surface.

  3. 03

    Implants can be fixed in different ways and inserted through different approaches.

  4. 04

    Your own surgical and discharge instructions take priority.

01 — The hip joint

A ball moving inside a socket

The femoral head is the ball at the top of the femur. It moves inside the acetabulum, a socket in the pelvis.

Why replacement may be considered

In osteoarthritis, the joint's protective cartilage breaks down. Pain, stiffness and reduced movement can make daily activities harder. Replacement may be considered when symptoms substantially affect life and other treatments have not provided enough relief.

Natural ball-and-socket hip jointSimplified pelvis socket, natural femoral head and upper femur.
AcetabulumFemoral headProximal femur
The femoral head moves inside the acetabulum—the socket in the pelvis.

02 — What changes

What happens in a total hip replacement?

The damaged femoral head and socket surface are replaced to create a new ball-and-socket bearing.

Natural hipHip replacement
Natural ball-and-socket hip jointSimplified pelvis socket, natural femoral head and upper femur.

Natural jointFemoral head inside the acetabulum

Hip joint after total hip replacementSimplified acetabular cup and liner, prosthetic head and femoral stem positioned in the pelvis and upper femur.

Total hip replacementCup, liner, head and stem form the new joint

Both the ball and the socket surface are replaced in a total hip replacement.

03 — The implant

Four main components

The components work together as a new ball-and-socket joint. Their exact design varies.

cup component of a total hip replacementPatient-friendly isolated view of the cup component.
Cup

Fits into the pelvis

liner component of a total hip replacementPatient-friendly isolated view of the liner component.
Liner

Surface inside the cup

head component of a total hip replacementPatient-friendly isolated view of the head component.
Head

Moves inside the liner

stem component of a total hip replacementPatient-friendly isolated view of the stem component.
Stem

Fits inside the femur

Component shapes are simplified and are not specific to an implant manufacturer.

How it fits together

The cup is in the pelvis. The stem is in the femur.

The prosthetic head connects the stem to the lined cup so the new joint can move.

Assembled total hip replacement in the pelvis and femurSimplified acetabular cup and liner, prosthetic head and femoral stem positioned in the pelvis and upper femur.
  1. 1
    Cup + linerinside the pelvis
  2. 2
    Headmoves in the liner
  3. 3
    Steminside the femur
Assembled total hip replacement—shown as a patient-friendly schematic, not a surgical plan.

04 — Fixation

How is the implant held in place?

The choice is made for the individual operation. This guide does not rank one method as universally better.

A

Cemented

Special bone cement fixes a component to the bone.

B

Cementless

A press-fit surface is designed so bone can grow onto or into it.

C

Hybrid

Cemented and cementless fixation are combined in the same replacement.

05 — Surgical approaches

Different routes to the same joint

Terms such as anterior, posterior and lateral describe where the surgeon accesses the hip. They do not, by themselves, determine one person's outcome.

AnteriorFrom the front
Lateral / anterolateralFrom the side or front-side
PosteriorFrom the back
There is no simple universal “best approach.”

NICE found enough evidence to recommend considering posterior or anterolateral approaches, but not enough to make recommendations on several newer approaches. Choice also depends on the surgeon's experience and individual clinical factors.

06 — The day of surgery

A general pathway, not a fixed script

Hospitals and individual plans differ. A broad sequence can look like this:

  1. 01Before surgery

    Admission, checks and discussion with the clinical team.

  2. 02Anaesthesia

    General or spinal/regional anaesthesia may be used.

  3. 03Operation

    The damaged joint surfaces are replaced and the new joint is assembled.

  4. 04Recovery area

    The team monitors recovery from anaesthesia and manages pain.

  5. 05Mobilisation

    Movement and walking begin when the team considers it appropriate.

Before admissionPreparing for hip replacement surgeryOpen guide →After surgeryThe first week after hip replacementOpen guide →

Medical information → Patient experience data

Recovery is not one timeline

Clinical information gives general frameworks. Actual recovery can vary across pain, walking, sleep, energy and everyday independence. ReplacedHip keeps those patient-experience analyses separate from this medical fact layer.

See how patients described pain, swelling and walking without crutches.

Sleeping on your side and returning to work show how one broad recovery framework becomes two distinct patient questions.

Explore real recovery questions

07 — Risks and complications

Known risks, described without a false universal rate

Risk varies with the person, procedure and clinical context. Your surgical team should explain the risks that apply to you.

View known risks and complications

Infection

Can involve the wound or tissues around the implant.

Blood clots

Can develop in deep veins; a clot can travel to the lungs.

Dislocation

The new ball can come out of the socket.

Fracture

Bone can fracture during or after the operation.

Leg-length difference

The operated leg can feel or be slightly longer or shorter.

Nerve or blood-vessel injury

Structures around the joint can be injured.

Wear or loosening

Implant components can wear or loosen over time.

08 — When to seek medical help

Use your discharge instructions and contact route

Contact your care team or local urgent service if you are worried. NHS guidance advises urgent clinical help after recent hip replacement for signs including:

  • worsening redness, tenderness, swelling or pain around the hip, leg or wound
  • oozing or pus from the wound
  • high temperature, feeling hot, cold or shivery
  • throbbing or cramping pain in the hip or leg

This is general information, not symptom assessment. Follow the instructions and contact details supplied by your own treatment centre.

Sources & medical references

Medical claims on this page are mapped to the structured evidence file used to render this source list. Patient forums were not used as medical sources.

  1. Joint replacement (primary): hip, knee and shoulder — Recommendations

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) · NG157, published 4 June 2020; reviewed 19 December 2024

    Supports: shared decision-making, information before and after surgery, surgical approaches, implant context. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  2. Research recommendation NG157/11: hip replacement approach

    National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) · NG157/11, June 2020

    Supports: limits of comparative evidence for surgical approaches, no simple universal best-approach conclusion. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  3. How a hip replacement is done

    NHS · Page last reviewed 6 March 2024

    Supports: total hip replacement steps, anaesthesia, recovery area, component materials. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  4. Recovering from a hip replacement

    NHS · Current NHS patient guidance retrieved 20 August 2026

    Supports: variation in recovery, hospital and home recovery, following individual advice. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  5. Complications of a hip replacement

    NHS · Page last reviewed 6 March 2024

    Supports: recognised complications, urgent warning signs, emergency symptoms. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  6. Osteoarthritis — Overview and symptoms

    NHS · Page last reviewed 20 March 2023

    Supports: cartilage breakdown, pain, stiffness, reduced movement. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  7. Osteoarthritis — Treatment and support

    NHS · Page last reviewed 20 March 2023

    Supports: non-surgical management, when joint replacement may be considered. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
  8. Total Hip Replacement

    American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), OrthoInfo · Peer-reviewed patient information; current page retrieved 20 August 2026

    Supports: hip anatomy, osteoarthritis context, implant components, fixation, surgery-day pathway, risks and recovery. Retrieved 2026-08-20.
About this page
Title
Hip replacement explained
Publisher
ReplacedHip
Last reviewed
August 20, 2026
Last updated
August 20, 2026
Content type
Medical information

Medical sources and evidence map Editorial reviewCorrectionsIndependence