Types Of Hip Surgery: 7 Procedures & What To Expect In 2026

Hip pain can quietly shrink your world. First it is stairs, then long walks, then getting in and out of a car. If conservative treatment stops working, surgery may come up quickly, and the options can sound confusing.

The good news is that different types of hip surgery are designed for very different problems, from labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement to hip fractures, advanced arthritis, failed implants, and severe joint damage. Once you understand why each procedure is used, the decision-making process becomes much clearer.

This guide explains the main hip operations doctors may recommend, who they are typically used for, and what recovery can involve in 2026.

If you are preparing for recovery at home, you can also browse JDCareUSA’s hip surgery recovery collection for supplies designed to support comfort, mobility, bathroom safety, and daily routines after hip surgery.

Key Takeaways

The main types of hip surgery include hip arthroscopy, hip fracture fixation, partial hip replacement, total hip replacement, hip resurfacing, and revision hip surgery.
Doctors usually choose a procedure based on the damaged structure, severity of disease, imaging results, age, activity level, bone quality, and whether non-surgical care has failed.
Hip arthroscopy is most often used for labral tears, femoroacetabular impingement, cartilage injury, or loose bodies when arthritis is mild or absent.¹
Hip fracture surgery is often urgent, and treatment depends on fracture location, displacement, age, mobility, and overall health.³
Total hip replacement is commonly used for advanced arthritis, severe cartilage loss, osteonecrosis, post-traumatic arthritis, and other joint-damaging conditions when symptoms limit daily life.⁴
Hip resurfacing can preserve more femoral bone in selected patients, but metal-on-metal implant concerns mean the risks and benefits should be discussed carefully.⁷
Revision hip surgery is more individualized and may be needed for loosening, wear, infection, fracture around an implant, instability, or mechanical failure.⁸
At-home recovery tools such as a raised toilet seat, reacher grabber, dressing tools, hot and cold therapy items, compression socks, and medication tracker labels may help make daily routines easier after surgery.¹⁰

How Doctors Decide Which Type Of Hip Surgery You Need

Your surgeon does not choose from the different types of hip surgery by preference alone. The decision usually comes down to four things: what structure is damaged, how severe the damage is, your age and activity level, and whether the problem can still be treated without replacing the joint.

Imaging Helps Match The Operation To The Problem

Imaging matters a lot. X-rays can show arthritis, fractures, alignment, bone changes, and implant position if you have had prior surgery. MRI may help with soft-tissue problems like labral tears. CT may be used for complex fractures or revision planning.

Your physical exam matters just as much. The surgeon will look at where the pain is, what movements trigger it, whether you limp, whether the hip feels unstable, and how much function you have lost.

Your Goals And Diagnosis Matter

Doctors also weigh your goals. A younger athlete with femoroacetabular impingement is not managed the same way as an older adult with a displaced hip fracture. Someone with end-stage osteoarthritis usually will not benefit from arthroscopy if the joint is already severely narrowed.

In other words, the “best” operation is the one that matches your diagnosis, bone quality, symptoms, health status, and expected recovery, not necessarily the newest procedure or the biggest surgery.

Hip Arthroscopy For Labral Tears, Impingement, And Loose Bodies

Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure done through small incisions using a camera and specialized instruments. It is most often used when you have a labral tear, femoroacetabular impingement, cartilage injury, or small loose fragments floating in the joint.¹

What Hip Arthroscopy Can Treat

During surgery, your surgeon may repair or trim the torn labrum, reshape extra bone that is causing impingement, and remove loose bodies. The goal is to preserve the native joint and improve hip mechanics before more damage develops.

Labral tears: Tears in the ring of cartilage around the hip socket.
Femoroacetabular impingement: Extra bone or abnormal contact between the ball and socket that can cause pain, stiffness, and limping.²
Loose bodies: Small fragments of bone or cartilage inside the joint.
Cartilage injury: Localized cartilage damage that may be addressed during the same procedure.

When Hip Arthroscopy Works Best

This procedure tends to work best when arthritis is mild or absent. That is the key limitation. If your joint space is already significantly narrowed, arthroscopy is less likely to help and may only delay a needed replacement.

Recovery is usually faster than with joint replacement, but it is not instant. You may need crutches for a short period, structured physical therapy, and several months before higher-level sports feel normal again. For the right patient, though, it can be a very effective hip-preserving option.

Hip Fracture Surgery: Pinning, Screws, Plates, And Partial Replacement

A hip fracture is different from chronic hip pain because it is usually urgent. The type of operation depends on exactly where the bone broke, whether the fracture is displaced, and your age, mobility, bone quality, and overall health.³

Internal Fixation With Pins, Screws, Plates, Or Rods

Some fractures can be fixed with pins, screws, plates, or an intramedullary device. This is common when the bone can be realigned and is likely to heal. Intertrochanteric fractures, for example, are often treated with a plate-and-screw construct or a rod-like device placed inside the bone.

Partial Hip Replacement After Certain Fractures

Other fractures, especially displaced femoral neck fractures in older adults, may be treated with partial hip replacement, also called hemiarthroplasty. This approach replaces the femoral head, or “ball,” while leaving the natural socket in place.

This may be recommended when the blood supply to the femoral head is disrupted and healing is less reliable. It is often considered when restoring stability and getting the person safely moving again are the priorities.

Why Timing Matters

Hip fracture care often focuses on safe, timely surgery, pain control, preventing complications, and helping the patient walk again. AAOS patient guidance notes that hip fracture treatment depends on the fracture type and location, plus the patient’s age and condition, and that medical optimization is ideally completed within 48 hours when possible.³

Total Hip Replacement For Advanced Arthritis And Joint Damage

Total hip replacement is one of the most common and successful orthopedic procedures for advanced arthritis, severe cartilage loss, or major joint destruction from conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, or prior trauma.⁴

What Happens During Total Hip Replacement

In this surgery, the damaged ball-and-socket joint is replaced with prosthetic components. Mayo Clinic describes hip replacement as surgery that removes damaged sections of the hip joint and replaces them with parts usually made from metal, ceramic, and hard plastic.⁵

The goal is straightforward: reduce pain, restore function, and help you return to daily activities that have become difficult or impossible.

When Total Hip Replacement Is Usually Considered

You are usually considered for total hip replacement when non-surgical treatment no longer provides meaningful relief. That may include medications, injections, activity changes, assistive devices, weight-management support when appropriate, and physical therapy.

The strongest reason for surgery is not just what your X-ray shows. It is how much pain, stiffness, and loss of function are limiting your life.

What Recovery Often Involves

Modern implants and surgical techniques have improved significantly, and some patients go home the same day or after a short hospital stay. AAOS notes that hospital stay may be 1 to 2 days depending on recovery, while outpatient hip replacement may allow same-day discharge for selected patients.⁶

Still, recovery takes work. Expect early walking, a walker or cane at first, home exercises or formal rehab, and gradual improvement over weeks to months.

Partial Hip Replacement And Hip Resurfacing: Who They’re Best For

Partial hip replacement and hip resurfacing can sound similar, but they serve different patients and solve different problems.

Partial Hip Replacement

Partial hip replacement replaces only the femoral head, not the socket. It is used most often for certain hip fractures, particularly in older adults whose socket cartilage is still reasonably healthy. It is not commonly the first choice for widespread arthritis affecting both sides of the joint.

Hip Resurfacing

Hip resurfacing is a bone-preserving alternative to total hip replacement in carefully selected patients, often younger, active adults with strong bone quality and larger bone structure. Instead of removing the entire femoral head, the surgeon caps it with a metal component and places a matching socket implant.

The appeal is potential stability and preservation of more femoral bone. But hip resurfacing is not for everyone. The FDA notes that metal-on-metal hip implants have unique risks in addition to general hip implant risks, including concerns related to wear and metal debris.⁷

If your surgeon discusses hip resurfacing, expect a detailed conversation about anatomy, bone quality, activity level, sex-specific considerations, metal sensitivity, implant risks, and long-term revision risk.

Revision Hip Surgery When A Prior Implant Fails Or Wears Out

Revision surgery is performed when a prior hip replacement or other implant no longer works the way it should. Causes can include implant loosening, wear, recurrent dislocation, fracture around the implant, infection, or mechanical failure.⁸

Why Revision Surgery Is More Complex

This is usually more complex than a first-time replacement. Your surgeon may need to remove old components, rebuild bone loss, treat scar tissue, or manage infection in stages. Preoperative planning is often extensive and may include specialized imaging and lab work.

Symptoms That May Lead To Revision Evaluation

Symptoms that lead to revision evaluation can include increasing groin or thigh pain, instability, clicking, leg-length concerns, drainage, swelling, recurrent dislocation, or a sudden decline in function after years of doing well.

Not every painful implant needs revision, but persistent symptoms should be evaluated carefully by an orthopedic specialist.

Recovery After Revision Hip Surgery

Recovery depends on why the revision was needed and how much reconstruction was required. Some patients recover much like they did after their original replacement. Others need protected weight-bearing and a longer rehabilitation plan. Among all types of hip surgery, revision is one of the most individualized.

What Recovery Can Look Like After Hip Surgery

Recovery varies widely because hip arthroscopy, fracture fixation, total hip replacement, hip resurfacing, and revision surgery are not the same operation. Your surgeon’s instructions should always come first.

Common Recovery Themes

Pain control: Your team may recommend medications, icing, positioning, and activity changes.
Early movement: Many hip procedures involve getting up and walking early, often with a walker, cane, or crutches.
Physical therapy: Rehab may focus on range of motion, walking mechanics, strengthening, balance, and safe transfers.
Blood clot prevention: Your team may recommend blood thinners, compression devices, ankle pumps, or frequent walking depending on your risk.
Incision care: Keep the incision clean and dry according to your surgeon’s instructions and ask when showering is safe.
Activity limits: Restrictions depend on the procedure, implant type, surgical approach, and surgeon preference.
Home setup: Recovery supplies such as a raised toilet seat, reacher grabber, cane, sock aid, long-handle loofah, ice pack, and medication trackers may help make daily routines easier at home. JDCareUSA’s Hip Surgery Recovery collection includes options designed for this type of support.¹¹

When To Call A Healthcare Provider

Contact your healthcare provider promptly if pain suddenly worsens, you cannot bear weight after a fall, your leg looks shortened or turned outward, you develop fever, drainage, increasing redness, chest pain, shortness of breath, calf swelling, or new numbness or weakness. These symptoms need medical evaluation rather than watchful waiting.

Featured Hip Surgery Support

Featured Product: JDCareUSA Hip Surgery Kit with SurgiSupport™

After hip surgery, small daily tasks like reaching items, getting dressed, using the bathroom, walking safely, applying hot or cold therapy, and staying organized can feel harder than expected. The JDCareUSA Hip Surgery Kit with SurgiSupport™ is a 17-piece recovery kit designed to support comfort, mobility, bathroom safety, and daily independence at home.¹⁰

It can be especially helpful for someone preparing for total hip replacement, hip fracture surgery, or another hip procedure where bending, reaching, walking, bathroom transfers, and daily care routines may be temporarily more difficult.

Why It Fits This Hip Surgery Guide

Mobility and independence: The kit includes tools designed to help with reaching, dressing, walking, and getting in and out of bed with less strain.¹⁰
Bathroom safety support: A raised toilet seat with handles adds height and stability to help make sitting and standing easier after hip surgery.¹⁰
Hot and cold therapy: The kit includes a weighted heating pad and an ice pack with straps for soothing comfort during recovery.¹⁰
Daily recovery essentials: Compression socks, scar tape, medication tracker labels, and other accessories help keep recovery routines more organized.¹⁰
Ready-to-gift recovery support: It can work as a practical recovery gift or care package for someone preparing for hip surgery.¹⁰

You can also browse the full Hip Surgery Recovery collection for related hip surgery recovery supplies and must-haves.¹¹

Important: Recovery products can support comfort and organization, but they do not replace medical advice. Always follow your surgeon’s instructions for walking aids, toilet seats, compression socks, scar care, supplements, heat or ice, activity limits, and physical therapy.

Shop the Hip Surgery Kit

Conclusion

The main types of hip surgery exist because hip problems are not all the same. A labral tear, a fracture, a worn-out implant, and end-stage arthritis call for very different solutions.

If surgery is on the table, ask one central question: what problem is this operation actually fixing? Once that answer is clear, the right procedure and the recovery you should expect usually become much easier to understand.

Medical disclaimer: This article is for general education only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Hip pain, hip fractures, arthritis, implant problems, surgical risks, medication choices, and rehabilitation plans should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional who knows your medical history.

Frequently Asked Questions About Types Of Hip Surgery

What are the main types of hip surgery for different hip problems?

The main types include hip arthroscopy for labral tears and impingement, hip fracture surgery with pins, screws, plates, rods, or partial replacement, total hip replacement for advanced arthritis, partial hip replacement and hip resurfacing for select patients, and revision surgery for failed or painful implants.

How do doctors decide which type of hip surgery is best for me?

Doctors consider the damaged structure, severity of damage, age, activity level, bone quality, diagnostic imaging such as X-rays or MRI, physical exam findings, and whether non-surgical options have failed. The goal is to recommend the surgery that best matches your diagnosis and recovery goals.

What conditions typically require a total hip replacement?

Total hip replacement is usually recommended for advanced arthritis, severe cartilage loss, or joint destruction from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, post-traumatic arthritis, or prior injury when other treatments no longer relieve symptoms enough.

Can hip arthroscopy help with arthritis-related hip pain?

Hip arthroscopy works best when arthritis is mild or absent. It can address labral tears, impingement, cartilage injury, and loose bodies, but it is usually less effective if significant joint-space narrowing from arthritis already exists.

What is the difference between partial hip replacement and hip resurfacing?

Partial hip replacement replaces only the femoral head and is often used for certain fractures in older adults. Hip resurfacing caps the femoral head with metal and preserves more bone, usually for carefully selected younger, active patients with good bone quality.

What should I expect during recovery from hip fracture surgery?

Recovery after hip fracture surgery focuses on pain control, preventing complications such as blood clots, protecting the repair or replacement, and early safe movement. Walking support, physical therapy, and medical follow-up are usually important parts of recovery. Recovery supplies such as a raised toilet seat, reacher grabber, cane, sock aid, long-handle loofah, ice pack, and medication trackers may help make daily routines easier at home; JDCareUSA’s Hip Surgery Recovery collection includes options designed for this type of support.