Hip Pain in Over-40 Patients: Preventing Replacement Through Preservation

Many people attribute hip pain as a normal part of aging. You watch as it creeps into your life after 40, making everyday movements like walking, exercising, or even resting uncomfortable. People worry this means a hip replacement is unavoidable, but that’s not always the case. Oftentimes, prompt treatment can help delay or even prevent the need for replacement.

Understanding Hip Preservation: Why It Matters After 40

Hip preservation focuses on maintaining the native joint’s health by addressing damage or dysfunction early. Often times the pain people start feeling after 40 was not due to something new but is the result of microtraumatic events throughout their life. Preservation techniques promote tissue healing, reduce inflammation, and improve joint function, ultimately slowing or halting arthritis progression and preserving mobility and comfort.

Regenerative Medicine Options: Healing Without Surgery

Modern regenerative treatments offer exciting options for over-40 patients with hip pain. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections use concentrated growth factors from the patient’s own blood to stimulate healing and reduce inflammation within the joint. Similarly, cell therapy utilizes cells derived from body tissues to encourage repair and regeneration of damaged cartilage and soft tissue—helping restore the hip’s natural environment. Both therapies are minimally invasive and geared toward promoting the body’s own healing mechanisms.

Personalized Treatment Plans for Lasting Results

Every hip pain case is unique. The hip experts at American Hip Institute can help you develop individualized treatment plans, combining physical therapy with regenerative medicine or joint preservation surgeries. By addressing mechanical issues and biological factors contributing to joint degeneration, these personalized strategies maximize the chances of joint preservation.

When to Consider Hip Preservation Over Replacement

While total hip replacement is highly effective for many, timely hip preservation interventions can delay surgery for years, improving life quality with fewer risks and faster recovery. Early diagnosis and treatment of labral tears, impingement, or cartilage damage through arthroscopy combined with regenerative options give many over-40 patients a chance to maintain an active lifestyle without replacement.

Preserve Your Hip, Protect Your Lifestyle

Hip pain after 40 isn’t a guaranteed path to replacement. With advancements in regenerative medicine, viscosupplementation, and minimally invasive surgeries, preserving the natural hip joint is increasingly achievable. Patients experiencing hip discomfort should consult specialists to explore these options early, aiming for joint preservation and a return to daily activities without surgery.

AUTHOR: Etan P. Sugarman, M.D., FAAOS, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip arthroscopy, sports medicine, and joint preservation. He has extensive expertise in the treatment of complex hip, shoulder, and knee conditions, with a focus on minimally invasive, reconstructive, and advanced restorative procedures. Dr. Sugarman is the inventor of innovative surgical techniques in both the hip and shoulder, and he regularly trains surgeons from around the world in advanced joint preservation methods.