Sexual Activity after Total Hip Arthroplasty

Summary

Many patients have questions about sexual activity after total hip arthroplasty (THA), yet the topic is often under-discussed in clinical practice. The hip range of motion required for different sexual positions, as well as the associated risk of prosthetic impingement or joint instability, had not been quantitatively assessed.

This study investigates 12 common sexual positions using in-vivo motion capture and magnetic resonance imaging with two volunteers. The recorded movements were used to drive patient-specific 3D models of the hip and prosthesis, allowing the relative risk of impingement and instability to be evaluated through computer simulation.

The objective is to provide surgeons and other healthcare professionals with scientifically grounded information that can help them answer patients’ questions and offer more specific guidance following total hip arthroplasty.

Partners

Artanim
Motion capture and analysis, and dynamic simulation of prosthetic hip models.

University Hospitals of Geneva – Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology
Medical supervision.

Medacta International SA
3D surgical planning and prosthetic hip modeling.

Related Publications

Christofilopoulos P, Charbonnier C. CORR Insights®: High Rates of Interest in Sex in Patients With Hip Arthritis, Clin Orthop Relat Res, 474(2):300–301, 2016.
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Charbonnier C, Chagué S, Ponzoni M, Bernardoni M, Hoffmeyer P, Christofilopoulos P. Activités sexuelles après arthroplastie totale de hanche (PTH), XIV Congrès SOFAMEA, Geneva, Switzerland, February 2015.
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Charbonnier C, Chagué S, Ponzoni M, Bernardoni M, Hoffmeyer P, Christofilopoulos P. Risk Assessment of Sexual Activity after Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA), Swiss Med Wkly, Suppl 204, 144:35S, 2014.
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Charbonnier C, Chagué S, Ponzoni M, Bernardoni M, Hoffmeyer P, Christofilopoulos P. Sexual Activity after Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Motion Capture Study, 15th EFORT Congress, London, UK, June 2014.
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Charbonnier C, Chagué S, Ponzoni M, Bernardoni M, Hoffmeyer P, Christofilopoulos P. Sexual Activity after Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Motion Capture Study, J Arthroplasty, 29(3):640–647, 2014.
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