Navigated total hip replacementMeasured as it's placed.

Hip arthritis often shows up as pain in the groin or thigh, stiffness, and trouble with stairs, shoes or getting out of a car. Dr. Akhtar starts with conservative care. When pain is present most days and other treatments have stopped helping, a total hip replacement becomes the next conversation.

“Ultimately, joint replacement surgery is a question of quality of life,” he says.

During surgery, a navigation camera tracks markers attached to the instruments and the patient. The system shows Dr. Akhtar the angle of the hip socket implant as it is placed and measurements that help restore leg length and offset.

The goal is a hip that is stable, feels balanced and lets you move naturally.

• Fewer outliers. A meta-analysis of five trials with 400 patients found that navigation reduced variability in hip socket position and the risk of placing it outside the recognized safe zone, with a relative risk of 0.21. Beckmann J, et al. Acta Orthop. 2009;80(5):538–544.

The authors noted that long-term outcome studies are still needed. Dr. Akhtar will talk through what navigation means for your specific hip.

Recovery plans are individual. Dr. Akhtar's patients are encouraged to get moving soon after surgery, and he will give you a plan for walking aids, therapy and returning to activities.

“Usually, people can participate in many more activities than they think,” he says of life after joint replacement.