After spending three weeks at UCSF for hip replacement surgery in 1985, I was 23 years old, and 6 months using a crutch my doctors words have stayed with me, “Use it, don’t abuse it”. He put in the latest hip at that time, titanium cementless with a plastic cup and told me he could only guarantee 5 years or a lifetime. I told him I will take the life time and so far it looks good. I was studying Health and Safety in college at the time and one of my professors told us that us humans were not made to be runners, if we were we would be four legged beings. This made a lot of sense to me so I never took up running, I wanted to have good joints when I got old. Instead I break the neck of my femor in a freaky waterski accident, this lead to avascular necrosis, go figure, who would have thought that could happen. Needless to say I have had no problems, worked on my feet for 10 years straight as a Nuclear Med Tech and had two children with normal deliveries. I want this hip to last a life time, so I use it and don’t abuse it. All the runners out there should take this advise wisely if you don’t want to have another surgery down the road. I’m proof that a hip can last a long time if used wisely. Good luck to anyone having future hip replacement surgery.