Some infections may show up very early - before you leave the hospital. Others may not show up for months, or even years, after the operation. Also, an infection can spread into the artificial joint from other infected areas. Your surgeon may want to make sure that you take antibiotics when you have dental work, or surgical procedures on your bladder or colon to reduce the risk of spreading germs to your new joint. Just like your real hip, an artificial hip can dislocate.
Dislocation is when the ball comes out of the socket.
There is a greater risk of dislocation right after surgery, before the muscles and tendons around the new joint have healed. However, there is always a risk of dislocation. The therapist will carefully instruct you on how to avoid activities and positions which increase the risk of hip dislocation. A hip that dislocates more than once may have to be revised, which means another operation, to make the joint more stable. Loosening The major reason that artificial joints eventually fail continues to be loosening of the joint where the metal or cement meets the bone.