Serious question - friend hip replacement

[Mr I]

So I was talking to a friend of mine and he tells me he has been told by a specialist doctor he got reffered to by his general practitioner (regular doc) that he needs a hip replacement and he's only 38!

So before this he had xrays etc and the guy said there are two types of hip replacement the full hip or the partial Birmingham technique but it looks like your bones lack the density to facilitate the partial op. The specialist then phones to say, yep I've had another look and you bone density is too low so you need a full Hip replacement.

I feel shocked, the guy is no gym buff but he used to play rugby as a youth and was running up until recently when the pain got to bad. But I'm thinking to myself why has he got low bone density at 38, maybe that should at least be explored as a route cause and he says its never been mentioned.

I mean low hormones or low magnesium uptake can induce low bone density right?

anyway I've told him to go back to his regular doc and say he wants a second opinion from another specialist, tell me when he's going and I'll go with him


Any thoughts/experiences?

[YellowJacket]

A lot of times, especially at 38, hip replacements are done for precautionary reasons, such as arthritis or the potential for a full collapse at a later age. Genetics have a lot to do with it. If hip pain or discomfort starts preventing or limiting your activities of daily living, then more often than not, an orthopaedic surgeon will call for a hip replacement. At 38, by the time hes 48, his ROM could be non-existent. Its more easily done at an earlier age to limit complications and it makes rehabilitation much more smooth.

Tell him to use Biomet for his total hip :)