Total Joints for a Total Transformation
Double hip replacement surgeries correct years of fused joints and limitations for one orthopaedic patient
At age 33, Garrett Strahl was preparing to leave his job and begin law school when a moment at work changed the course of his future. While helping co-workers lift a heavy object, he suddenly lost his ability to fully bend at the hip. Although he would later learn that the incident didn’t cause his condition, it marked the beginning of a journey that would lead to a bilateral hip replacement.
Despite these early limitations, Strahl persevered in establishing his career. As the years progressed, his mobility worsened. When he tried to sit, his body remained rigid, making it appear as though he were leaning against the chair. Eventually, he couldn’t lift his feet more than an inch off the ground, making stairs impossible. Even getting in and out of a car became a challenge.
Yet he wasn’t in pain, so he delayed surgery.
“I was young, and, from what I understood, when considering hip replacements, they tell you to wait as long as you can, especially because of my age,” Strahl said. “So, I waited and waited.”
After decades of adapting to these physical constraints, Strahl decided at age 58 that it was time to move forward. He met with Julie Shaner, MD, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon at UF Health Jacksonville, who specializes in adult reconstructive orthopaedics.
During the evaluation, Shaner determined that Strahl had virtually no hip motion.
“His joints did not rotate or flex,” Shaner said. “He had a condition referred to as ankylosis, which is a near fusion of the joints. This can be due to an inflammatory condition, severe trauma or advanced degenerative disease. He formed an excessive amount of bone around the hip sockets, which prevented motion.”
In speaking about his delay in getting surgery, Shaner said that historically surgeons would suggest that patients wait as long as possible, because earlier implants had a shorter lifespan than today’s improved materials.
“Modern hip implants are designed to last 25-30 years, so patients have a much better chance of needing only one hip replacement in their lifetime,” Shaner said.
For Strahl, the timing was finally right. He chose to have both hips replaced in the same year; one in July and one in September of 2025.
The results have been impressive. During follow-up visits six months after his first surgery and four months after his second, Shaner said that Strahl was walking comfortably with a natural gait. She now sees a much more comfortable future ahead for her patient.