Whether you are undergoing conservative treatment or have decided to have total joint replacement surgery, we hope you will learn about the pros and cons of total hip surgery, as well as a brief overview of the physiology and pathology of the normal hip joint, how to regain a normal life with an artificial joint replacement, and how to complete your life and rehabilitation after surgery. If you have arthritis, a fracture or other disease of the hip joint, you may experience pain or difficulty in your daily activities such as walking, standing up and sitting down. You may even feel uncomfortable when you are at rest. If medication or mobility aids do not help you in your daily life, you should consider total hip replacement surgery. By replacing your diseased hip with an artificial joint, you will be able to return to your normal life and activities without pain. Artificial hip replacement surgery matured in the 1960s and was one of the greatest advances in surgery in the last century. Subsequent advances in surgical techniques and prosthetic technology have greatly improved the outcomes of artificial joint surgery. Today, more than 168,000 people in the United States undergo artificial hip replacement surgery each year.