Total hip arthroplasty in active golfers.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is commonly performed in an older population, for whom gold is often the only form of exercise. Members of the Hip Society do not feel that golfers have increased rates of complications after THA when compared to nongolfers and permit their patients to play gold with a THA. Most golfers will see their handicaps increase after total joint arthroplasty, although this does not appear to be a function of drive length. Most golfers with a successful primary total joint arthroplasty will not have pain while playing golf but will likely experience a mild ache in the hip region after playing. Hybrid and uncemented primary THAs appear to have lower rates of radiographic loosening in active golfers when compared to cemented THAs. However, symptoms of pain while playing or after playing do not differ among these groups, despite this radiographic difference.