When hip pain begins to interfere with daily activities and hobbies you enjoy, it may be time to consider your options.

To increase mobility with less recovery time, hip resurfacing may be the best surgical option for you. With a unique bone conserving technique, hip resurfacing offers younger, active people an opportunity to return to their lifestyle without restrictions or pain. Candidates for hip resurfacing typically are younger, active men, with strong, healthy bones.

Hip resurfacing involves trimming damaged bone and cartilage from the ball and socket. Your surgeon places a smooth metal cap on top of the trimmed thighbone. A metal shell goes into the hip socket. These two metal components move together, allowing for painless, fluid motion.

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What’s the difference between hip resurfacing and hip replacement?

During hip resurfacing, your surgeon trims away small amounts of damaged cartilage and bone. You keep almost all the bone in your thigh and hip socket.

With hip replacement, a surgeon removes the entire head of the thighbone and replaces it with a metal stem, which is inserted down into the thigh bone (femur). A metal or ceramic ball secures to the top of the stem. This implant fits into a new metal hip socket, usually with a plastic liner.

Hip resurfacing can ease hip pain from osteoarthritis. Hip pain is often felt in the groin, and sometimes in the buttock or the side of the hip. Your healthcare provider may recommend the procedure if hip pain doesn’t improve with nonsurgical treatments.

Hip resurfacing isn’t right for everybody. People older than 65 shouldn’t get the procedure. Hip replacement works fine in the elderly. This age group is more likely to have weaker bones (osteoporosis), which can complicate both hip resurfacing and hip replacement.