Hip Preservation
Struggling with hip pain during daily activities or sports? Our specialized hip preservation program is dedicated to accurately diagnosing the true cause of your pain, delivering precise treatment and protecting your native hip.
We're here to support your active lifestyle with expert care, especially when hip pain makes everyday movement challenging and limits your activities. Our fellowship-trained orthopedic specialist will evaluate and diagnose your hip condition and offer advanced hip preservation treatments designed to reduce pain, restore function and help you stay active.
Hip preservation is a specialized approach that proactively addresses hip pain by treating structural and soft tissue problems before arthritis develops. This method includes both nonsurgical and surgical techniques designed to repair hip joint damage and help delay or even prevent the need for hip replacement.
Who Benefits Most From Hip Preservation Care?
Hip preservation treatment is especially beneficial for younger, active patients, typically from the mid-teens through adults in their mid-50s, long before joint replacement is needed. Patients who benefit from hip preservation care often experience persistent hip or deep groin pain. This includes athletes, weekend warriors or anyone experiencing chronic pain during daily routines. Our program is designed to help you get back to the activities that matter most to you.
Our Goal: Helping You Move With Confidence Again
Most patients can be seen for an initial appointment within a few days, so you can get prompt recommendations and treatment for your hip concerns. During your visit, we’ll review hip-preserving treatment options and focus on what’s right for you. Our goal is to ease your discomfort, maximize joint function and help support your hip health for years to come.
Our hip preservation program focuses on identifying your condition so we can help keep you moving. Common conditions we treat include:
- Cartilage injuries
- Core muscle injuries (sports hernia)
- Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
- Hip dysplasia
- Labral tears
- Snapping hip and bursitis
- Tendon and soft tissue injuries
Many of these conditions are common in athletes, and we work closely with our sports medicine team to provide comprehensive care. If left untreated, they can lead to worsening pain, decreased mobility and an increased risk of arthritis.
Explore Your Hip Preservation Treatment Options
Many patients benefit from nonsurgical treatments, while others require a surgical approach. We provide a full range of treatment options, guided by careful evaluation of your concern.
Nonsurgical care is the starting point for many patients, and often, it’s all they need. Our physical therapists are trained specifically in hip preservation rehabilitation. They have a deep understanding of the anatomy, pathology and protocols that protect the joint while restoring function.
- Hip preservation physical therapy: Rehabilitation to improve strength, flexibility and function. Orthopedic physical therapists use diagnosis-specific protocols to protect your joint while restoring mobility and movement quality.
- Diagnostic & therapeutic injections: Image-guided injections used both to pinpoint the source of pain and provide targeted relief.
- Activity & lifestyle modification: Activity modification and sport- or work-specific recommendations to protect your joint without giving up the activities you enjoy.
Hip arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgery designed to correct hip impingement and repair labral tears with precision. This approach reduces pain, preserves healthy tissue and promotes faster recovery.
- Labral repair & reconstruction: Repair or reconstruction of the labrum, combined with reshaping of the femoral head-neck junction or socket rim to address the underlying impingement.
- Cartilage restoration: Targeted treatment of focal cartilage injuries to address damage before it progresses to widespread arthritis.
- Capsular repair & plication: Restoration of the joint capsule to protect against post-surgical instability — particularly important in hypermobile patients and those with borderline dysplasia.
Open hip preservation surgery is used when it is the best option for treating a hip condition. Our team is skilled in a variety of techniques and tailors treatment to your needs to support the best possible outcome for your hip health.
- Femoral osteotomy: Reshaping or rotating the femur to correct rotational malalignment and abnormalities that contribute to pain and impingement.
- Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO): The gold standard procedure for adult hip dysplasia, repositioning the socket to provide proper coverage of the femoral head and dramatically reduce arthritis risk.
- Surgical hip dislocation: A precise, controlled approach providing 360° access to the joint, ideal for complex hip impingement, deformity and conditions not treatable with arthroscopy.
Core and soft tissue repair procedures are specialized surgical techniques that target key muscles and soft tissues. Each technique is designed to address specific injuries and help you return to your active lifestyle.
- Core muscle repair: Open repair of lower abdominal and adductor injuries is a specialized procedure, and we have one of the few surgeons in the region who offers it.
- Hamstring repair: Open repair of hamstring tears, whether recent or long-standing, including tears where the hamstring has pulled away from the pelvis, to help restore strength and function so you can return to sports.
- Gluteus medius repair: Repair of the lateral hip abductor tendons to help relieve chronic lateral hip pain and improve strength.
Answers to Your Hip Preservation Questions
If you’re experiencing hip pain that affects your daily activities or sports performance, these FAQs can help answer common questions about hip preservation and guide you toward the care you need.
Who is a good candidate for hip preservation?
Ideal candidates are typically those who have been told they are too young for hip replacement or are seeking a second opinion on complex hip issues. Patients with persistent symptoms despite conservative care may also qualify. However, after the mid-50s, preservation options become less viable, and hip replacement may be a more appropriate treatment.
What symptoms might mean I need to have my hip evaluated?
Persistent groin pain, stiffness, clicking, catching or pain with twisting, sitting or sports can all be signs that your hip isn’t moving the way it should. If these symptoms last more than a few weeks, recur frequently or begin to limit your daily activities or workouts, it’s a good time to schedule an appointment to identify the cause and explore ways to prevent further progression.
What can I expect from my initial hip preservation evaluation?
- Detailed history: We take time to understand your story, when your pain started, what makes it better or worse, your activities, goals and prior treatments.
- Dynamic physical exam: Rather than a quick, one-position exam, we carefully guide your hip through various positions and activities to understand how it functions in real life.
- Expert review of advanced imaging: Many of our patients were told their X-rays or MRIs were 'normal' before coming to us. With specialized training in hip preservation, we take a closer look to identify subtle issues that are often overlooked.
Will I always need surgery to preserve my natural hip?
Not always. Many patients start with nonsurgical care and are able to preserve their natural hip without surgery, depending on what’s causing their symptoms. Hip preservation simply means treating the underlying problem in a way that protects your own joint. Sometimes that involves a procedure, but often it doesn’t. Some patients improve with nonsurgical care, such as targeted physical therapy, activity modification or image‑guided injections.
If I need hip preservation surgery, will I see the same surgeon for my care?
Yes, you will have one dedicated surgeon from start to finish. The same surgeon who evaluates you during your appointment will plan and perform any procedures, if needed, manage your follow-ups and collaborate closely with your physical therapy team.
How is hip preservation different than hip replacement?
Hip preservation focuses on keeping your natural hip joint healthy and working well for as long as possible. When the hip joint is too damaged to be repaired, hip replacement is an option that removes the damaged joint and replaces it with an artificial one. Our goal with hip preservation is to help you maintain your own hip longer, while hip replacement is considered when repair is no longer possible.
What is the recovery time for hip preservation treatment?
Recovery after hip preservation treatment happens in stages, with each phase designed to protect your repair, restore movement and gradually rebuild strength. While every patient progresses at their own pace, this timeline outlines the general milestones you can expect as you heal.
- Weeks 0–6 — Protection: Protect the repair, manage pain and swelling and begin gentle, guided motion.
- Weeks 6–12 — Mobility: Increase motion, progress weight bearing and start light strengthening.
- Months 3–5 — Strength: Build strength, improve gait and prepare for sport‑specific movement.
- Month 5 and Beyond — Return to Activity: Advance to higher‑level strengthening, dynamic movement and sport‑specific training. Most patients begin returning to full activity as strength, coordination and comfort allow.
Can athletes return to sports after hip preservation procedures?
In most cases, yes. Hip preservation procedures are designed to address the underlying issue, protect the joint and help athletes return to competitive sports, often with less pain, improved motion and a reduced risk of future injury.
Why choose our specialized hip preservation team?
Our fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon is a hip preservation specialist with advanced expertise in sports medicine, including a full range of hip procedures. Utilizing the latest techniques and technologies, including 3D-printed surgical guides, they provide precise, safe and effective care. Supported by a coordinated team, our surgeon works closely with referring providers and rehabilitation specialists to ensure seamless care from the initial evaluation through recovery.
