How soon after broken hip surgery can someone climb stairs?
Answers
There is no simple answer to this question. The pace of recovery and the ability to do certain tasks varies greatly among individuals. It depends upon the person's age, strength, balance, pain control, and their ability to put full weight through their foot. Depending on the type of surgery that is done to repair the hip, the person may have "weight bearing precautions" for a while after the surgery—meaning they are limited in how much weight they should put through their foot while walking. A person must be cleared by their doctor to put full weight through their foot before they can climb stairs. In the best case scenario—a person should be able to climb stairs with a hand rail, one step at a time about one to two weeks after surgery. But discuss your individual case with your physical therapist and they should be able to give you a good idea.
