How to sit down and stand up after hip replacement surgery

Although hip replacement surgery is a well-known procedure with favorable therapeutic results, it requires postoperative care like any other surgical procedure. One of the main questions of patients undergoing hip replacement surgery is about how they should sleep, sit down, and stand up after surgery.

It is important to perform proper hip movements after surgery and the patient needs to know what movements are harmful to the artificial joint. The main harm caused by awkward and improper movements to the artificial hip joint is the imposition of extra stress on the artificial joint and its dislocation.

Hip artificial joint dislocation is one of the serious postoperative problems in such patients that should be prevented by taking the necessary precautions.

A hip artificial joint dislocation occurs when the joint places in an awkward position. The most important positions causing artificial joint dislocation are excessive thigh bending and medial rotation.

Therefore, you need to take into account the following points to prevent inappropriate movements of the hip joint. Note that the following recommendations may vary depending on the patient’s condition and type of surgery. Coordinate these changes with your orthopedic surgeon.

Correct way of sitting down after hip replacement surgery

Almost all patients can sit after hip replacement surgery, unless they are not allowed by their orthopedic surgeon.

If the orthopedic surgeon allows the patient to sit down after surgery, the patient can lie on a bed at home for one week but gradually increase the time he/she sits down.  

After about one week of bed rest, the patient can sit in a chair all day long. The patient should avoid sitting in a way that the legs are hanging for a long time, because it can lead to leg swelling.

To prevent leg swelling, the patient needs to wear compression stockings. 

Hip and knee angle after hip replacement surgery

After hip replacement do not bend your hip joint more than a right angle (90°) when you are sitting. It refers to the angle between the trunk and the thigh. Bending the thighs more than this can increase the risk of joint dislocation.

Correct use of a chair after hip replacement surgery

The patients undergoing hip replacement surgery should sit on a chair with long legs and a raised and firm seat. This is because in the sitting position the knees should be at the same level or a bit lower than the pelvis.

A sofa with a low seat is not appropriate for such patents to sit on because the pelvis will be lower than the knees level. This position applies much forces to the artificial joint and increases the risk of its dislocation. The chair that such patients sit in should have two arms and a firm back.

Do not bend forward when you want to sit in a chair or when you are sitting.

Do not try to lift something off the ground when you are sitting in a chair