Still limping 6 weeks after hip replacement

The hip abductors and other muscles may still be weak after surgery, making the pelvis dip or causing a protective limp. Pain, stiffness, leg swelling, reduced confidence, or using a walking aid unevenly can reinforce an altered gait. A limp can also be influenced by the lower back, knee, or the condition that led to surgery. Recovery varies, so the trend matters: gradual improvement is more reassuring than new or increasing pain, reduced function, or a sudden change in walking.

Follow the exercise and weight-bearing plan from your surgical team or physiotherapist. Practise short, even walks and use the recommended aid until you can walk without leaning or limping; rushing away from a cane can make the pattern harder to correct. Keep track of distance, pain, swelling, and whether the limp improves after rest. Contact the team for a gait review if progress has stalled, because they can check strength, leg control, the hip, and the way the aid is adjusted.

Contact your surgical team promptly for increasing hip or thigh pain, a new inability to bear weight, a wound that becomes red or drains, fever, or a sudden deterioration in movement. Seek urgent help for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or a painful swollen calf. A new leg-length concern, clicking with loss of function, or a fall also deserves timely assessment.

Is my walking pattern consistent with expected muscle weakness? Should my walking aid or exercises change? Could my knee or back be contributing to the limp? Which symptoms should prompt an urgent call, and when should my hip be examined again?