Hip & thigh Post-Operative Rehabilitation
Hip Dislocation
- Severe hip pain after trauma
- Inability to bear weight
- The leg held in a fixed rotated position
- After relocation: weakness and restricted movement
Quick answer
Hip dislocation is displacement of the femoral head from the socket, usually from significant trauma or following hip replacement. After the hip is relocated, rehabilitation restores movement and strength while respecting precautions that prevent it dislocating again, typically over three to six months.
Typical recovery
3–6 months
A typical range, not a promise — how long it takes depends on how long it has been going on, and on what you do between appointments.
The hip is a deep, stable ball-and-socket joint, and dislocating a native hip takes considerable force — usually a road accident. Dislocation after a hip replacement is more common and happens with far less force, because the surgery necessarily alters the soft tissue that holds the joint together.
The immediate situation
A dislocated hip is an emergency. It needs relocating promptly, both for pain and because a prolonged dislocation risks damaging the blood supply to the femoral head — see avascular necrosis.
Rehabilitation afterwards
Precautions come first. After a posterior dislocation or a hip replacement, certain movement combinations must be avoided while the soft tissue heals — typically deep hip bending, crossing the legs, and inward rotation. Your surgeon sets these and how long they apply. We work to them and make sure you know how to sit, sleep, dress and get in and out of a car within them.
Then movement and strength. Restoring range within the safe zone, rebuilding the gluteal muscles that stabilise the hip, retraining balance and normalising walking.
How long it takes
Three to six months for most people. Recovery after a native hip dislocation depends heavily on whether there was associated fracture or damage to the blood supply, and needs long-term orthopaedic follow-up.
Medically reviewed by Pooja Tyagi, BPT, MPT, Orthopaedic Physiotherapy · Last reviewed September 2026