Research published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery-British Volume, demonstrates that a majority of those who were actively participating in sport before a joint replacement or resurfacing were able to return to sport after their operation.

A total of 61.4% of patients surveyed had returned to sport within 1 to 3 years after their operation.

Going even further, the analysis shows that once the factors of age and gender were removed 'there was no significant difference in the rate of return to sport according to the type of operation'. These findings suggest that hip resurfacing may have no advantage over conventional THR in terms of return to activity post operatively.

Despite these positive findings in patients who were active before surgery, the article stresses the need for surgeons to 'discuss the probability of return to sport with patients before operation in order to obviate unrealistic expectations'. This is particularly true in light of the finding that a quarter of patients who were active pre-operatively were unable to return to sport due to pain.