Treatment Plan

Patient History:
Congratulations! You have received a total hip replacement (in which the diseased ball
and socket of the hip joint were completely removed and replaced with artificial
materials) on April 4th, 2019. Your recovery time is estimated around six to twelve
weeks. A follow-up appointment will be scheduled around this time to ensure the hip is
recovering properly.

Treatment Goals:
You should be receiving Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy daily. Once
discharged from the hospital, you should attend outpatient rehab twice every week. If you
are feeling okay, you should be up and walking three to four days after surgery.
Long term goals are to become rehabilitated back to independence and walk without the
use of a walker. You should ultimately be “healed” and regaining movement around six
weeks.

Patient Home Care:

 For the first 1-2 weeks after surgery, use the bedside toilet to reduce fall risk and
bending past 90 degrees
 Use a walker for the first 3-4 weeks if needed
 Exercise daily using the arm bands provided
 Practice standing and balancing without a walker
 Move daily, even if it’s only a couple steps. This will increase recovery time
Tips for Home Care:
 Do not bend the knee inward or outward, it could cause a tear in the socket
 Try not to bend past a 90-degree angle
 When entering a bathtub, do not twist around. Instead, enter with the other leg and turn from
there
 Joint pain is normal, try to rest for a couple of days before exercising again
 Gradually increase your activity level
 Do not cross your legs

At Home Exercises:
The following exercises will help increase circulation to your legs and feet, which is important for
preventing blood clots. They will also help strengthen your muscles and improve hip movement.

1. Ankle Pumps- Slowly push your foot up and down. Repeat this exercise several times, as often
as every 5 or 10 mins

2. Ankle Rotations- Move your ankle inward toward your other foot and then outward away from
your other foot. Repeat 5 times in each direction.

3. Bed-Supported Knee Bends- Slide your foot toward your buttocks, bending your knee and
keeping your heel on the bed. Do not let your knee roll inward. Hold your knee in a maximally
bent position for 5 to 10 seconds and then straighten. Repeat 10 times.

4. Quadriceps Set- Tighten your thigh

muscle. Try to straighten your knee.
Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat this
exercise 10 times during a 10-minute
period, rest one minuet and repeat.