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Skiing after hip replacement?

croig

Diva in Training
I had both of my hips replaced approximately three years ago using an anterior approach and an excellent surgeon. I was skiing approximately five months postop with no issues whatsoever.
great to hear that ! I had my right side done in april, I am experience skier buy a bit scared to go to the slopes again....
 

Jazza

Certified Ski Diva
Happy new year to you all and especially my fellow hippies! I’m 48 and had my hip replaced 5 months ago. My annual ski trip is approaching (mid Feb) and I’m both excited and nervous. I’ve had hip scopes to both hips in The past 4 years and have skied afterwards on my Head Absolute Joys. I’m only 158 myself and have been skiing on 158cm. Thinking of going a bit shorter for manoeuvrability (say 155). Will mainly stay on piste maybe dabble around the edges so I will go for a wider ski.
Contenders are Black Pearl 88 or 82 or Atomic Vantage 86. I won’t be able to demo as I’m in London and the mountains are in Austria!!
Grateful for any feedback for those who have tried these skis ( especially comments re grip / edge control)
 

Jazza

Certified Ski Diva
do you do blacks?
I did! Not sure I would next month though. I know from experience how nervous I can be skiing post surgery. Will stick to blues and reds, which a already on the steep side in St Anton!
 

croig

Diva in Training
St Anton beautiful...., I guess you also avoid crowds as a safety measure
you can put the boot in a very loose setting in case of anything..
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Happy new year to you all and especially my fellow hippies! I’m 48 and had my hip replaced 5 months ago. My annual ski trip is approaching (mid Feb) and I’m both excited and nervous. I’ve had hip scopes to both hips in The past 4 years and have skied afterwards on my Head Absolute Joys. I’m only 158 myself and have been skiing on 158cm. Thinking of going a bit shorter for manoeuvrability (say 155). Will mainly stay on piste maybe dabble around the edges so I will go for a wider ski.
Contenders are Black Pearl 88 or 82 or Atomic Vantage 86. I won’t be able to demo as I’m in London and the mountains are in Austria!!
Grateful for any feedback for those who have tried these skis ( especially comments re grip / edge control)
Welcome! I demo'd the BP88 @145cm a couple seasons ago. I'm 5'0" (152cm), over 60, advanced, and my all-mountain skis that are 85 underfoot are 159cm. So mid-150 length would be fine for you. The instructors at Taos, which is famous for bumps, tend to prefer shorter skis for easier turns.

After knee rehab (popped an ACL doing something unrelated to skiing and didn't do surgery), I was on shorter skis during the first season. Was back on my usual length all-mountain skis by the end of the season.
 

Cautious

Diva in Training
This is my third season of skiing after a hip replacement at age 58. My surgeon and sport physio said I could ski as long as I “cruised the blues” — that is, no more black diamonds — and no more skiing on busy days. I’m spooked enough by the prospect of snapping my femur below the implant that I’m fine giving up black diamonds, and the one day I accidentally skied when it was busy (the holiday was over, but the crowds were not) sure as guns, someone ran into me, so I’m not tempted to do that, either. The upside is, there’s an inexpensive pass that suits me exactly.
 

Jazza

Certified Ski Diva
I am pleased to have just completed my first ski trip with my new hip. 6 days of skiing in St Anton (known as the cradle of alpine skiing).
I have to say, I was very nervous. Not surprising given I am only 6.5 months post op (posterior approach). They always say confidence and competence are bed fellows. My anxiety about slipping on the pavement, losing an edge on ice or being wiped out by someone really impacted me: I was very tense which naturally affected how I skied. Things got better as the week progressed but I found it very tiring. I managed blues, reds and the odd black run. I know the surgeon said to avoid steeps and moguls but that is impossible in this report! Even blue runs turn into mogul fields By lunchtime! Will definitely need to keep up with the rehab. Hopefully, i will feel stronger when I return in 5 weeks!
 

snowski/swimmouse

Angel Diva
A girl in my ski club, 78, has had two hip replacement and a knee replacement and we call her the "bionic skier". She is more careful now, but she can still out ski me!!! I think *not skiing* would kill her! Off season she's a serious hiker---Appalachian Trail, etc..
 

CarverJill

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I haven't read this whole thread but wanted to jump in a say that my Dad skied after a hip replacement in the 1990's. He was in his late 60's at the time. The technology is SO much better now that I don't see why you couldn't do it.
 

Julietski

Diva in Training
I've read several stories of people who skied after hip replacement. Skied with a man in his 70s at a destination resort who had both hips done and a partial knee replacement. He's still most definitely an advanced skier who is skiing far more than just groomers.

Interesting . . . found a study done in 2000 comparing two groups, one group participated in alpine or cross-country skiing after recovery and the other didn't. After the 10 year followup, the conclusion was that "Our findings, combined with the results of previously-published biomechanical studies, do not provide any evidence that controlled alpine and/ or cross-country skiing has a negative effect on the acetabular or femoral component of hip replacements. The results of the biomechanical studies indicate, however, that it is advantageous to avoid short-radius turns on steep slopes or moguls."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10919294

Per usual, every medical situation is somewhat unique. So recovery time and how much skiing can happen afterwards depends on the individual patient's PT process and tolerance for risk. But for someone who is at least a solid intermediate skier, returning to the slopes seems like a reasonable goal.

I read this article as well, al all I do are short-radius turns. I learned 60 years ago, when taught to keep your skis together and my turns control my speed. I will hap hip replacement this summer, which I guess means no skiing in 2021 (if resorts open).
 

Julietski

Diva in Training
Each year after our annual ski trip, my hip bothered me, but I could always work it back with massage and an excellent chiropractor. I run and thought that was running that put stress son my hips. This year I skied quite a bit in Austria and Canada and I have not recovered, cannot run or even ride my bike. Doctors think I need a total hip replacement. After a little research, I'm worried that it was the skiing that put the pressure on my hip, not the running. I'm 63 and look forward to our annual trip to the alps, but will be devastated if I can't ski.
 

vickie

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Sounds as if people here have skied 6 months post-op. A friend had a hip replacement in September a couple of years ago. His surgeon said he should be able to ski again late in the season.

It's entirely feasible you will be able to ski next season. But if there's ever a season to sacrifice in advance, the upcoming one is it.
 

Julietski

Diva in Training
Welcome! I demo'd the BP88 @145cm a couple seasons ago. I'm 5'0" (152cm), over 60, advanced, and my all-mountain skis that are 85 underfoot are 159cm. So mid-150 length would be fine for you. The instructors at Taos, which is famous for bumps, tend to prefer shorter skis for easier turns.

After knee rehab (popped an ACL doing something unrelated to skiing and didn't do surgery), I was on shorter skis during the first season. Was back on my usual length all-mountain skis by the end of the season.
I know it is late, but I love, love, love the Black Pearl 88. I'm having my hip done this summer and uncertain whether I will be able to ski. I have no patience on the blues and love the short parallel turns (not good for the hips). I'm encouraged by the experience of the other Diva's thank you to all.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I read this article as well, al all I do are short-radius turns. I learned 60 years ago, when taught to keep your skis together and my turns control my speed. I will hap hip replacement this summer, which I guess means no skiing in 2021 (if resorts open).
Each year after our annual ski trip, my hip bothered me, but I could always work it back with massage and an excellent chiropractor. I run and thought that was running that put stress son my hips. This year I skied quite a bit in Austria and Canada and I have not recovered, cannot run or even ride my bike. Doctors think I need a total hip replacement. After a little research, I'm worried that it was the skiing that put the pressure on my hip, not the running. I'm 63 and look forward to our annual trip to the alps, but will be devastated if I can't ski.
What I've learned as my ski buddy make adjustments to his technique in the last few years is that with the current design of skis, it's possible to ski with much less effort. However, it requires making a commitment to enough lessons with very experienced instructors to learn a slightly different stance. My ski buddy was an advanced/expert skier in high school. He was in his 60s when we started doing semi-private lessons together at destination resorts. I'd learned how to get recommendations for really good instructors, often people who were old enough to know how to make parallel turns on straight skis. It took a couple seasons, but once he started to feel the difference he was eager to keep learning more.

Have you ever heard of Soft Skiing by Lito Tejada-Flores? He wrote it after having to rehab a knee. Not exactly what is taught these days in the U.S. but emphasizes that skiing should be easy, and not require a lot of muscle or effort.
 

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