Tobias

No they are not overplaying the caution. Your hip joint has literally been taken apart and reassembled. Tissues need to heal so they can hold the whole business together again. This takes time. My surgeon described a newly replaced hip as about as stable as an egg in a spoon. In other words, it could pop out very easily. I was told by my PT that the most frequent violation of the 90-degree-rule occurs not by lifting the leg but rather occurs when the patient pulls the upper torso forward as you describe when you are typing. Other times that must be watched are pulling up covers in bed, trying to reach your feet too soon or pick something up that you dropped, etc. This is why THR patients are given reachers so they can do these things and still maintain the precaution.

I agree about the sleeping difficulty on one's back. It is heaven when you can finally spend some time on your side. Good luck with your 2nd hip. I found that my second THR was relatively easy and was back on my feet in no time. In fact I had such an easy time of it that I found it difficult to behave myself because I felt so good.

If you're warned not to let your affected leg cross the midline of your body, then that means you shouldn't cross your legs at the ankle (or knee). You may also be warned not to internally rotate your leg and advised to keep your leg and foot pointed straight ahead. In the position you describe at your desk (with your knees lower than your hip), it sounds as if leaning forward a little bit wouldn't cause your body to form a 90-degree angle. If in doubt, look at your position and decide if it is or isn't in violation.

So, no, they are not making this up. There really are good reasons for the precautions that you are given.