Motivated to be mobile

Believing she had sciatic pain in her right hip, Judith "Judy" Peterson decided to visit her long-time primary care provider, Dr. Therese Johnson with Essentia Health.

"The pain was causing me to limp," admits the 79-year-old Horace resident.

Dr. Johnson recommended an X-ray which confirmed that Judy's right hip had bone-on-bone osteoarthritis due to damaged cartilage. Cartilage is the slippery coating on the ends of bones that serves as a cushion and reduces friction during movement.

Judy scheduled an appointment with Dr. Samual Lindemeier, an orthopedic surgeon at Essentia.

"I figured if I had a bone-on-bone issue, I might as well see a surgeon and see what he had to say," explains Judy, who immediately felt comfortable with Dr. Lindemeier following their initial visit in June of 2022.

Judy discussed her options with Dr. Lindemeier. She opted to proceed with a cortisone shot in July, which — due to a risk for infection — precluded her from having surgery for three months. Unfortunately, her pain quickly returned.

Reconnecting in October, Dr. Lindemeier turned his attention to surgery, which would involve replacing Judy’s entire right hip – the ball and socket.

"For hip replacements, we insert a hip stem, with a ceramic ball attached, on the femur side that goes down inside the bone," he explains. "On the socket side, we insert a titanium cup that is press fit into the socket, followed by a plastic liner. These components make up the new hip joint, and X-rays are used as part of this process to see where they are being placed."

Judy underwent surgery in November. Dr. Lindemeier performed the direct anterior approach, a technique that has gained in popularity due to its effectiveness and minimal invasiveness.

"I use this approach because I do not have to cut any muscles or tendons to gain access to the hip, which I think allows for quicker recovery," he explains.

"I think this goes hand-in-hand with function. The sooner people can recover, the quicker they can regain function. In Judy's case, she was 79, had a hip replacement and she went home the same day of surgery."

"I had surgery at 1 p.m. and by 7 p.m., my son took me home," she says.

Recovery went well for Judy. She completed physical therapy with Ryan Ehrmantraut at the Essentia Health-52nd Avenue Clinic in Fargo.

"I saw him three times before he said, 'You're doing so well, I don't need to see you anymore,' " she says. "I bounced right back which was pretty amazing. It wasn't what I expected."

WATCH JUDY'S STORY and learn more about our orthopedic and sports medicine services at EssentiaHealth.org.

When Judy found out she had osteoarthritis, she started regularly attending SilverSneakers Yoga, a program that involves seated and standing yoga poses aimed at older adults.

"I did that over the summer, about five times a week," states Judy. "I think that built up my core and the strength in my legs and helped me bounce back. When I got the booklet for exercises to do before surgery, I had already done so much more because of my yoga.

"I feel great. I’m not limping and can walk around and drive. My husband, Allan, has a lot of appointments and I'm happy that I can still support and take him to his commitments in the community."

Dr. Lindemeier says his hip-replacement patients range in age from their 60s to 80s.

"My hip replacements, I think, are some of my happiest patients," says Dr. Lindemeier. "I love seeing them after surgery during follow-up because they're usually very happy and are doing great."

"Sometimes age is just a number," he adds. "There are patients that I've seen in their 80s that are super healthy. I've seen patients in their 60s that are unhealthy. It’s more about their level of activity and their overall health. I would not tell anybody no on a hip replacement strictly because of age."

Dr. Lindemeier believes physical activity and motivation play a role in recovery. "Individuals that try to be active at their age and have a good level of motivation, this goes a long way toward recovery," he says. "I think most will eventually get there, but more motivated people will get there quicker."

Judy continues to practice yoga, challenging herself to stand as much as possible during practice to build strength. "I want to build up my strength and not let it go down," she says. "I don't want the other hip to go bad!"

"I really enjoyed working with Dr. Lindemeier," she adds. "I think he's a fabulous surgeon and a great doctor."