Hip preservation is a group of treatments that protect your natural hip joint instead of replacing it. It is often an option for younger, active adults with hip pain from conditions like dysplasia or impingement. Dr. Presley Swann evaluates whether preserving your own hip through arthroscopy, labral repair, or an osteotomy is the right path for you.
The Problem
Hip pain in your twenties, thirties, or forties does not always mean a replacement is coming. Groin pain, a catch or a pinch when you sit or turn, stiffness after activity, and pain that limits sport or work often trace back to how the hip is shaped, not just to wear. Being told “you are too young for a hip replacement” can leave you without a clear next step. The real question is whether the joint can be protected before it wears down.
How Dr. Swann Approaches It
Hip preservation aims to fix the underlying problem, an unstable or poorly shaped joint, before it wears the cartilage down to arthritis. Dr. Swann starts with a full evaluation: your history, an exam, and imaging that shows the shape and alignment of the hip. Depending on what he finds, options can range from activity changes and physical therapy to procedures that reshape the socket or address impingement, such as periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) for dysplasia or surgery for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The goal is to protect your own joint for as long as possible. Where a hip replacement would truly serve you better, he will say so. Complex and dysplastic hip anatomy is familiar ground for him, on both the preservation and the replacement side.
Procedures Dr. Swann Offers
- Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) for hip dysplasia.
- Arthroscopic and open surgery for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).
- Labral repair, both arthroscopic and open.
- Femoral osteotomy for femoral version problems.
Why Patients Trust This Practice
- Board-certified orthopedic surgeon. Dual fellowship at the University of Utah covering both hip preservation and joint replacement, following residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
- A nationally known teaching surgeon in the hip preservation and joint replacement world, and founder of a Hip and Knee Fellowship that trained other surgeons.
- Over 1,200 periacetabular osteotomies performed since completing fellowship.
- Patients travel to be treated here: 20 to 30 percent of the practice comes from out of state.
- Hip preservation is a subspecialty. Not every orthopedic surgeon offers it.
- Care is individual: the recommendation follows your hip, not a template.
- Serving the Denver metro area from our Englewood office, 799 E Hampden Ave Ste 400, Englewood, CO 80113.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hip preservation?
Hip preservation is a set of surgical and non-surgical treatments that protect your own hip joint instead of replacing it. It is aimed at correcting the underlying problem, often the shape or stability of the hip, so the joint lasts longer. In a PAO, Dr. Swann restores the natural shape and alignment of the ball and socket so you can bear weight through normal activities without the hip catching or dislocating.
Am I a candidate for hip preservation instead of a replacement?
It depends on your age, activity, the cause of your pain, and how much wear is already in the joint. Preservation works best when there is still healthy cartilage to protect, and typically in patients under the age of 50. A physical evaluation with Dr. Swann will help determine this for your specific hip.
What conditions can hip preservation treat?
Common ones include hip dysplasia (a shallow socket), femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), and labral tears, which often occur alongside those conditions. The right treatment depends on which of these is driving your pain.
What are the risks of hip preservation surgery?
Like any surgery, hip preservation procedures carry risks, and they are not the right choice for everyone. Before anything is scheduled, Dr. Swann reviews the benefits and the risks with you for your specific situation so you can make an informed decision.
Will hip preservation prevent me from ever needing a hip replacement?
The goal of hip preservation is to protect your natural hip and to delay or reduce the chance of a future replacement. It cannot guarantee you will never need one; that depends on your specific hip and how it responds over time. Dr. Swann will give you a realistic picture for your situation.
How do I know if my hip pain is from dysplasia or impingement?
They can feel similar, and imaging is a main diagnostic tool to identify what is going on in your hip. An exam with X-rays, and sometimes an MRI or CT scan, will show the shape of the socket and whether there is impingement or a labral tear. Dr. Swann uses all of these tools to identify the actual cause.
What is recovery like?
Recovery depends on which procedure you have and is different for each. In general, patients return to weight bearing as tolerated somewhere between 6 and 12 weeks, depending on what was done. Dr. Swann will walk you through the expected timeline for your specific treatment before anything is scheduled.
Call to Action
Wondering if your hip can be preserved?
Schedule an evaluation with Dr. Presley Swann to learn whether hip preservation, or another approach, is right for you.
Call 720-475-3355 · Text 720-445-6836
The information on this page is for general education and is not medical advice. Every hip is different. For guidance about your own hip, please schedule an evaluation with Dr. Swann.