Around 200,000 hip prostheses are used in Germany every year. This means that our country holds a leading position when it comes to artificial joints of this type. But how long does it take to build muscle after hip surgery?
Many people suffer from hip dysplasia from birth. The alignment of the joint does not correspond to normal anatomy, for example the joint is slightly displaced. This can lead to hip pain and osteoarthritis in the hip joint area at an early stage.
For other people, for example, a fall at an advanced age that results in a fracture of the femoral neck results in the need for a hip implant. Hip surgery is extensive and can be carried out very routinely by many doctors.
In this article we will address the question of how muscles can be built up again as quickly as possible after the procedure and the use of a hip prosthesis in order to fully restore mobility in this area.
How much time does the body need to rebuild sufficient muscle mass in the hip region after the operation ? Can you influence the duration of this development ? How long does it take for you?
Hip joint and hip area - a special anatomy
As the second largest joint after the knee joint , the hip joint forms the connection between the thigh bone and the pelvis . This indispensable joint allows the leg to move. Without this joint we would not be able to walk and stabilize the body at the same time.
The surrounding muscles around the joint are also essential for the movement of the leg. The joint consists of the hip socket and femoral head . With hip joint dysplasia, the head often does not lie correctly in the hip joint socket .
Doctors can obtain information about possible displacements through a hip arthroscopy . Signs of wear and tear, for example due to a shift in the joint, lead to pain and discomfort, especially when moving.
In connection with changes to the joint, muscles in this area often break down. The solution is usually a surgical solution and the replacement of natural parts of the joint with an implant .
Prostheses and implants
The use of a prosthesis is an option if there has been painful wear and tear on the articular cartilage and changes in the bones in the hip area. Osteoarthritis leads to stiffening of the hip joint , which massively limits the mobility of those affected.
The gait changes and most patients can no longer do sports without feeling pain. There are different types of prostheses and a variety of materials available.
The attachment techniques for the implants also differ for each hip operation. The focus of the procedure is to establish a durable prosthetic solution. This is intended to restore full mobility to the affected person and the ability to play sports.
Muscle loss after hip surgery
Those affected repeatedly report that it can take months until the muscles in the hip area are completely restored after the procedure.
There are several reasons for this. On the one hand, if the joint is misaligned, muscle loss often occurs before an operation because the pain causes the patient to adopt protective postures and the muscles are not required.
Older patients also often suffer from sarcopenia. This technical term refers to age-related muscle loss. On the other hand, certain postures must not be assumed for a certain period of time after the surgical procedure so that the artificial joint fits properly into the natural anatomy.
You can prevent this by continuing to build muscle as you get older . As a rule, the procedure is followed by a rehabilitation measure in which hip-friendly movements are taught for the next period and training stimuli are provided.
For example, for a few months after hip surgery, the legs must not be crossed or bent more than 90°. Building muscle as quickly as possible is one of the biggest challenges in connection with a medical procedure.
The muscles play a crucial role in determining the functionality of the artificial hip joint and ensure that the joint is not overloaded.
How long does it take to build muscle after hip surgery?
Some experts now suggest muscle building measures that precede the procedure. In some studies, such preoperative measures such as increased protein intake, training and physiotherapeutic exercises in the gym after hip surgery show a shorter rehabilitation time than in patients who only took part in rehabilitation measures postoperatively.
Most patients spend about a week in the hospital after the procedure. This is followed by three weeks of rehabilitation measures . After that, progress and the course of treatment vary greatly from person to person.
The time periods vary between weeks and months during which the affected patients achieve full mobility and performance of the artificial joint . The full functionality of the joint is always coupled with the associated muscle growth.
Without the appropriate muscles, the functionality of the joint cannot be achieved. The question here is which factors support the development of the muscles and can perhaps accelerate the process of integrating the hip implant .
Muscles, their structure and nutrition
Two conditions are essential for building muscles: muscle building training and a suitable diet. You should discuss strength training after hip surgery with your doctor. In general, after hip surgery, you first need to rebuild the lost muscles before you start targeted strength training.
It is also worth taking a closer look at how these two factors work together in connection with hip surgery and the subsequent recovery. A nutrition plan for building muscle may be helpful.
The tissue of a muscle consists predominantly of protein. Protein is therefore the building material from which our muscles are made. Consequently, the intake of protein also influences the growth of muscles .
For average physical performance, daily protein intake requires around 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight .
Anyone who is physically active or wants to build muscle has a higher protein requirement, which can be between 1.4 and 1.7 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. The protein requirement is very individual .
Age and other living conditions can also change the need for protein. Older people usually have a higher need for protein. Above all, protein that was supplied from outside with food.
Once you reach a certain age, the body's remodeling processes no longer work as well as they did when you were younger. This also applies to proteins, a group of substances that constantly remodels itself and forms further protein building blocks from others.
If these processes take place more slowly, older people in particular can benefit from the additional supply of amino acids because their body can then directly access the building blocks.
Amino acids with a special effect on the muscles
The essential amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine are also called branched-chain amino acids because of their structure. Amino acids are the smallest building blocks of certain proteins. The abbreviation BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids .
The BCAA has a special metabolic effect. Unlike other amino acids, they are not metabolized in the liver. The conclusion drawn from this is that they can be available particularly quickly in certain areas of the body.
Interestingly, these 3 amino acids have a particular effect on muscle protection. That's why many athletes swear by BCCA if they want to acceleratemuscle growth .
The amino acid pattern and the essential amino acids
We differentiate between essential and non-essential amino acids . Essential protein building blocks must be supplied with food, while non- essential amino acids are produced by the body itself.
The amino acids are essential for humans:
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
The American scientist Professor. Dr. Luca-Moretti considers the eight essential amino acids to be very special. In his opinion, they form the amino acid pattern of humans . He certifies that these amino acids are particularly useful for the human organism.
From his point of view, this means that these 8 amino acids as a whole make particularly good building blocks for every physical tissue. He therefore also believes that the 8 essential building blocks work together in a special way.
In his opinion, they should be available to the body in sufficient quantities at all times. If you follow this theory about the amino acid pattern, you should pay particular attention to an adequate supply of the essential building blocks when building muscles .
The World Health Organization (WHO) determines the requirement for essential amino acids as follows:
The body needs milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day:
- 39 mg leucine
- 20 mg isoleucine
- Saw 30 mg
- 15 mg methionine
- 25 mg phenylalanine
- 15 mg threonine
- 4 mg tryptophan
- 26 mg valine
The theory of the amino acid pattern also assumes that only very few foods contain all the essential building blocks with the required values.
It is possible that a balanced supply of these building blocks, as required by the amino acid pattern, can only be achieved through nutritional supplementation. Regardless of whether you follow the amino acid pattern theory or not, the essential protein building blocks play a major role in the supply of protein.
Muscle growth cannot be achieved in the long term without an adequate supply of this building block.
Why carbohydrates and fats also play a role
Anyone who has noticed that muscles consist predominantly of protein could draw the following conclusion: A diet that consists predominantly of protein should be able to particularly promote muscle growth . But carbohydrates and fats also play a role.
This has to do with the fact that during physical exertion, the body initially relies on the muscles' own energy stores. Once they are used up, the muscles get energy from glycogen stores.
Glycogen stores are nothing more than stored carbohydrates in the form of sugars. If these energy stores are also used up, the body falls back on fat stores.
The development of muscles therefore takes place in a very complex metabolic environment. All three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats have their function.
Certain low-calorie diets can cause the body to rely on its own protein. Then there is muscle loss instead of building up.
This danger of rel=""muscle building concerns routines and diets that do not contain enough protein. Keep these connections in mind if you are specifically aiming to grow your muscles .
Muscle building after hip surgery
Muscles respond to certain stimuli by growing. The prerequisite is that a rest phase follows a demand on the muscle. During rehab after the use of a hip prosthesis, you will be taught these connections between tension and relaxation.
Muscle building training after hip replacement surgery includes general physical training such as walking, walking, swimming or similar activities. They promote endurance and also support the formation of other functional units of the musculoskeletal system.
Your muscles do not stand alone. Among other things, it is connected to ligaments and tendons, which also give it a supportive frame. The faster you restore this frame in the hip area, the shorter the duration of your rehabilitation and the development of muscles will be.
Conclusion : How many weeks and months it takes to build up your muscles and undergo rehabilitation depends on many individual circumstances. Aside from the standard time spent in the hospital and in rehab, building up the muscles can take weeks or months.
However, you yourself can influence to a certain extent how much time it takes. If months here seem too long, you may want to start building your muscles before the procedure.
You can also support muscle building with your diet. Protein and especially the essential amino acids should be consumed in sufficient quantities. Depending on your age and recovery situation, assume that your protein needs are increased.
In addition to nutrition and protein supply , regular exercise, which is adapted to your training level after the procedure, plays a major role in faster recovery and convincing muscle building .
By always remembering that hip pain should be a thing of the past as a result of the procedure , you will find sufficient motivation for training and a tailored diet.
