Erin Tucker: Breakthrough Story of 21-Year-Old’s Hip Replacement

- Erin Tucker

"Forget college football games and summer internships. For then collegiate soccer player Erin Tucker, walking became her number one priority at the young age of 21, when she started experiencing hip pain due to femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), a condition where abnormal, wearing contact between the ball and socket of the hip joint occurs.

When a hip arthroscopy didn’t take and caused her to limp for nearly five years, Erin looked to American Hip Institute & Orthopedic Specialists for the answer.

Upon researching the best hip experts in the country, Erin sought out the American Hip Institute team to perform the surgery she was dreading but was in dire need of by age 26: a full hip replacement.

Hip replacements are rare for people Erin’s age due to the lifespan of the replacement and the increased likelihood of a riskier second surgery or revision in the future – hip replacements don’t last forever. In short, with each additional surgery there is more risk and a longer, more difficult recovery. However, for Erin, it was the only next step to get her back to her full active lifestyle.

Erin’s experience with the American Hip Institute team of experts was nothing short of a miracle, and she put her full trust in them.

“I feel like I could not have gotten through my hip surgery and recovery process without the support of the AHI team. You always want a healthcare team who listens to you, and they were the first to say, ‘We’re so sorry that you’re going through this,’” said Erin.

“I could tell they really cared about me getting better. Their goal was to ensure I became pain-free, and they took a lot of ownership in me as a patient. I always felt like I could ask them questions or express my concerns, which was super important."

Post-surgery, Erin admits that she made the mistake of thinking she’d have an immediate recovery, but when her glutes and posterior body were not firing, she used a heel slide exercise that ultimately helped her retrain her body overtime and expedite the recovery process…just in time for her to walk down the aisle with the man of her dreams.

Today, Erin uses her story as a platform to encourage those experiencing similar pain to seek treatment before it becomes extreme."

- Erin Tucker

Have questions about your own hip health? Contact us for more information.