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BackgroundTotal hip arthroplasty (THA) in a young patient (i.e., under 22 years old) often is met with opposition because of the perceived activity demands of this age group. However, the current literature does not define the postoperative function of young adults who receive a hip replacement. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the postoperative activity level of a group of young patients with THA and compare it with that of an age-matched and gender-matched control group, consisting of individuals with no known hip pathology. MethodsSeventeen patients younger than 22 years old with THA had their postoperative activity level, functional outcome, and general health evaluated using the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), and short-form-12 (SF-12) scores. Then they were compared with a control group (n ¼ 56) of age-matched and gender-matched participants. ResultsUCLA activity scores averaged 6.1 ± 2.1 for the case group compared with 8.6 ± 1.9 for the control group. HOOS scores were significantly lower in all the subscores in the case group compared with the control group. Patients with arthroplasty scored lower than their peers in six of eight subscores and one of two composite scores of SF-12. ConclusionsWe found that young patients with THA have significantly lower postoperative activity levels and lower functional outcomes compared with age-matched and gender-matched peers. Our results emphasize that the common belief that these young patients place too high of activity demands on hip implants is incorrect. Many of these young patients have significant comorbidities that restrict their activity.