Our rehabilitation protocol requires strict compliance for optimal results. To ensure your proper rehabilitation and recovery a detailed list of videos has been created and is available below (to find additional information about your recovery please review your Hip Arthroscopy Packet that was provided to you upon scheduling surgery).
If you are a patient of Dr. Carreira’s, and have had a hip arthroscopy, and you have any additional questions not covered on the recovery process from below, please feel free to contact us at the office.
Hip Arthroscopy Post Surgery Guidelines
In the above video, Dr. Carreira covers general information including the following topics:
- importance of hydration following a hip arthroscopy surgery,
- post-surgical medication,
- how to prevent infections,
- how to prevent blood clots (including a brief demonstration of ankle pumps),
- driving guidelines,
- weight-bearing guidelines,
- supporting the leg (including two simple demonstrations of moving the leg after surgery), and
- follow-up appointments.
Recovery from Hip Arthroscopy
CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) Machine Use after Hip Arthroscopy
A CPM machine will be supplied to you within 24 hours after surgery, and typically coordinated with the supplier for delivery prior to surgery. In a 24-hour period and while in bed, the CPM should be used ideally for 4 hours regardless of hip arthroscopy procedure performed.
Use of the machine at night helps to avoid the need for its use during the waking hours. Following breakfast and morning P.T. exercises, it may be best to collect your things, including the cooler and foot pumps, lie back and get comfortable with a book, newspaper, or laptop and start the CPM.
At first, you will need assistance to get into the CPM. The detailed video available above serves as a guide for proper use of the CPM machine.
Anti-Rotation Boots
For the first three weeks following surgery, it is important to prevent external rotation of the hip and foot while sleeping. When we sleep, our feet naturally turn out, that is, externally rotates.
If you cannot sleep in the CPM or you have completed the 4 hours required, there are 2 alternatives:
- When you are lying down flat on your back and resting, the anti-rotation boots should be used with the Velcro strap tightened to keep all toes pointing towards the ceiling.
- Lie on the opposite hip with a pillow between your legs. For example, for a right sided hip surgery, one can rotate to sleep on the left hip.
The CPM and anti-rotation boots are not used together.
Limitations in Weight Bearing after Hip Arthroscopy: Toe Touch Weight Bearing and 50% Partial Weight Bearing
For most hip arthroscopy procedures, patients are allowed 50% weight bearing for the first 2 weeks after surgery, followed by full weight bearing.
When microfracture is performed following hip arthroscopy, patients are limited in weight bearing to toe touch weight bearing. Toe touch weight bearing is exactly as the term describes, touching down, typically for balance and with a small amount of force. Studies have shown that there is no significant difference in forces across the hip when comparing non weight bearing with toe touch weight bearing. Toe touch weight bearing also places less strain on the hip flexors which typically are inflamed after surgery.
A detailed video available above shows toe touch weight-bearing status with the use of crutches and a walker. Please use the proper technique shown below with either crutches or a walker. Your physical therapist will help guide you.
Proper Use of the Hip Brace
The brace will be worn for 3 weeks by all patients except for joint hyper mobility patients treated with capsular plication, who will wear the brace for 6 weeks. The brace must be worn for all standing and walking activities. You can, but do not need, to wear the brace when sleeping or sitting/laying down. Brace is locked at 30 and 90 degrees of flexion. It is important to keep the hip from going into any extension. For all patients, the range of motion on the brace will be adjusted to 0 and 90 degrees at 2 weeks by the physical therapist.
In adolescents, we recommend a full 6 weeks while at school or activities around students, when there is a higher risk of a fall or similar high stress physical situations such as being run into.
Also, the brace itself can be used to help move the leg when rotating in and out of a car or seat, and to help minimize hip flexor use.
A detailed video available above serves as a guide for proper use of the Hip Brace following hip arthroscopy surgery.
Proper Fitting of the Hip Brace
Recovery of Athletic Routines
The above video shows a 61-year old physician and marathon runner who is two months postoperative, running a 8:30 minute/mile pace at 85% weight-bearing on an anti-gravity treadmill. The marathon runner is recovering from arthroscopic hip surgery, undergoing physical therapy with with Bryan Graham at Oceanside Physical Therapy.
