Total hip replacement (THR) is a surgical procedure that relieves the pain of most types of hip arthritis, thus helping to improve the quality of life of most part of the patients who undergo the operation. Arthritis simply means “inflammation of a joint.” Arthritis can occur in any joint in the body. The main symptom of arthritis is pain that usually worsens with activity and load. This pain can be relieved most of the time through rest. There are over 100 types of arthritis, but less than a handful account for over 95% of hip replacements performed. Some of these include osteoarthritis (causes deterioration of cartilage and growth of bone spurs), rheumatoid arthritis, and osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Doctors suggest that before considering hip replacement surgery for arthritis, the patient try a series of non-operative interventions. Your doctor may have you consider small things like losing weight (most arthritis is caused by loading a joint), modifying your activity, or even using a cane. Patients should consider THR when activities of daily living become more difficult to perform due to pain. These activities include walking, climbing stairs, or other moderate pastimes. The patient's doctor may also prescribe anti-inflammatory medications that help reduce arthritis-related inflammation and pain. The modern total hip replacement was invented in 1962 by Sir John Charnley. Sir Charnley was an orthopedic surgeon who worked for a small hospital in England. Total hip replacement is considered by many to be the most important operation developed in the 20th century, solely because it helps alleviate human suffering. Total hip replacement was first performed in the United States around 1969. Since then, more than hundreds of thousands of replacements have been performed in the United States. One of the first surgeons to perform this surgery was Charles O. Bechtol. In 1969, while a professor at UCLA, Bechtol began a total hip replacement program. The artificial hip joint is considered a prosthesis. There are two main types of artificial hip joints, cemented prostheses and cementless prostheses. The type of prosthesis that will be used on the individual patient is decided by the surgeon based on the patient's age, lifestyle and the experience the surgeon has with a particular prosthesis.