It’s no secret, AI has changed the way we live. From research to surgery, it’s influencing a lot of areas of orthopaedics.
We see our patients now searching for terms such as “robotic hip surgery”, “digital planning” and “hip replacement technology” to help them make this life-changing decision.
Many are also using AI tools to understand symptoms, compare treatment options and prepare questions before seeing a specialist.
Of course, this can be helpful. AI has the wonderful ability of making complex medical information easier to understand. But it cannot examine your hip, review your X-rays in context or decide whether surgery is right for you.
The best use of AI is as a starting point: not a diagnosis or treatment plan.
For many people, AI is now just part of the early research stage.
Tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Claude or Perplexity are easier to initially converse with and help a patient to understand symptoms, compare treatment options and prepare questions before their treatment process has even begun.
Prompts you might ask if you’re experiencing hip pain may be:
These are sensible questions. However, hip pain can be misleading. Symptoms may come from the hip joint, back, knee, tendons or surrounding muscles.
AI cannot perform a physical examination, assess your walking pattern or match your symptoms properly to your imaging. So, while AI can support research, the next step should still be specialist assessment.
AI does not always mean a robot. In hip replacement, artificial intelligence usually means software that can analyse data, recognise patterns or make predictions.
This could include:
Some tools may use machine learning, which is when software improves its pattern recognition by learning from large datasets.
Others may be advanced planning or decision-support systems that use data in a more structured way. For patients, the important question is not simply “is AI used?” but “what does the technology actually do, and how is it checked by the surgeon?”
Probably the most common use of AI/Technology in a hip replacement is pre-operative planning.
Before surgery, the surgeon needs to understand the patient’s anatomy, choose the right implant size and plan the new joint position.
AI-assisted planning tools may help analyse imaging and suggest implant size, alignment or positioning. This can support:
Learn more about digital planning in our blog: Precision and Teamwork: Computer Alignment for Hip Replacements
We often hear AI, robotics and digital planning being thrown together in the “technology” bucket for hip replacement surgery. But, they most definitely are not the same thing.
In short, robotic-assisted hip replacement may help guide implant positioning during surgery. AI may help analyse data, imaging or outcomes. Digital planning may help map the operation before surgery begins.
All three can be useful, but none of them guarantees a better recovery on its own.
More importantly: a successful hip replacement still depends on accurate diagnosis, careful planning, implant choice, surgical experience/skill, muscle and soft-tissue preservation, infection prevention, early mobilisation and aftercare.
Technology can support these steps, but it cannot replace the full surgical pathway.
The ball and socket implant selection is one of the most important parts of hip replacement surgery. Supported by The National Joint Registry1 AI and machine learning may help in future by analysing large datasets to identify which implant combinations perform best for different patients. This could include age, bone quality, activity level, diagnosis and long-term revision risk.
Read about the B.Braun Core Hip System in our blog: Innovation in Hip Replacement Surgery
For patients, this is where AI could become especially useful: helping surgeons learn from large-scale outcome data to support safer, more personalised decisions.
That being said, with modern approaches and materials, PubMed2 reports hip replacement survivorship is now 92·1% over 30 years.
While these tools are no doubt exciting and useful, AI in healthcare must be used carefully.
Any tool used to support medical decisions should be properly tested, regulated and monitored. NICE’s3 evidence standards for digital health technologies highlight the importance of safety, effectiveness and value.
UK guidance on AI as a medical device also stresses that AI tools must be safe for their intended use and should address risks such as bias and reliability. This matters because AI depends on data. If the data is incomplete, biased or not relevant to a particular patient, the output may be less reliable.
It’s important AI is used with a lot of caution as it can deliver incorrect answers. We often see when challenged, it corrects itself and churns out a different response. So, when you use it, don’t be afraid to follow up and double check the answer!
To help you make an informed decision, we offer a free discovery call with one of our specialists.
At Orthopaedic Innovation, technology is used to support planning, precision and rapid recovery hip replacement: but the pathway remains surgeon-led.
The Kley Rapid Hip Method combines digital planning software, specialised pre-operative imaging, modern implant materials and consultant-led, muscle-sparing surgery. Led by Dr Kristian Kley, the pathway is designed around careful planning, tissue preservation and early mobilisation.
Gathered data reports:
Learn more about the Kley Rapid Hip
AI may become more relevant to hip replacement over time, especially in planning, imaging and outcome prediction. Although, the principle is the same: technology is only valuable when it supports better decisions, safer surgery and smoother recovery.
We encourage patients to research freely online and recognise utilising AI is a big part of that process. With that in mind, we suggest discussing:
These questions help separate truly useful technology from marketing language.
AI is already influencing the way patients research hip replacement. An “informed decision” (before choosing treatment) requires using a variety of resources and there’s no question AI is definitely part of that now.
It is also beginning to shape imaging, digital planning, implant research, outcome prediction and follow-up. But patients should not choose a hip replacement pathway based on technology alone.
The best results are still coming from combining good data, careful planning, proven implant materials, experienced surgery and structured recovery support.
At Orthopaedic Innovation, the Kley Rapid Hip Method brings together technology, technique and experience to help suitable patients move confidently again as early as possible.
Book a discovery call with one of our specialists
1https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11929018/
