AO Male. Age 62. Single Occupation: Retired farmer AO had hip surgery in both hips during 2000 and 2001. He obtained Unique® individually fitted prostheses on both sides. He inherited the farm in 1963 after his parents, and ran this continuously until 1997 when he passed the farm on to his niece. The farm is of medium size with livestock of dairy cows and pigs in addition to a larger timber forest. Early on, before automation, much of the work on the farm involved heavy work. Much time was spent on the tractor. The work caused heavy strain on hips and back. After 34 years of running the farm he wished to have an easier life. He was tired and worn down, and wished to enjoy sports, outdoor life and hunting. He took part in organized marches and hiking tours and started traveling abroad, but quickly experienced severe pain. The first symptoms where back pain. He started seeing a chiropractor in 1998, but did not notice any improvement. When his chiropractor asked more in depth about his problems, he could tell that he actually had pain in his groin. From then on, things started moving. He was advised to see his general practitioner, who referred him to the nearest orthopaedic hospital. He was examined by a specialist, and X-rays were taken. They revealed that he had severely worn cartilage of the hips on both sides. He was recommended to have Unique individually designed prostheses on both sides. Normally, there is a waiting list at the hospital, and AO had to wait for some months before it was his turn. His hip condition deteriorated quickly during these months. Living alone he needed to move around and care for himself. He lost his sleep, and occasionally spent long hours awake and away from bed. He could not walk stairs. Driving the car became difficult and he had problems taking on socks and shoes. His active lifestyle came to an end and he became passive and depressed. After the longest months of his life he was admitted to the hospital. His hip replacement operation was successful. After one week he was transferred to a rehabilitation centre. He was already pain free in his right hip which felt great. After one month he returned to his home to take charge of his training himself. Since he had to use his left leg much during the rehabilitation period, his condition on this side deteriorated rapidly. He had to wait for another 9 months before he was admitted to the hospital to have hip replacement on his left side. This procedure was successful as well, but his training period was somewhat longer since he had to use muscles that he had hardly used for years and his first hip was still somewhat weak. Still, AO was very satisfied, since now he had regained his hip function on both sides and was pain free. After approx. 1 month, he started using his bike and bicycled for more than 10 km (6 miles) every day. He felt this was easier than walking. The same autumn he went hunting with his friends for the first time since his pain started. He could actually walk for up to 4 hours at the time in the wilderness. His pain had been so severe that he had though; "will I ever be pain free again?" It felt like regaining life! KB Female. 32 years. Married Social worker KB got her first Unique® individually designed prosthesis in Nov. 2002 and her second in May 2003. She has a rare skeletal disease called osteopetrosis. The soft tissue normally found inside of the bone (the bone marrow) is replaced by compact, solid bone. The orthopaedic surgeon had never experienced such a case before. A standard prosthetic implant was out of the question. KB learnt already at the age of11 that she had this rare disease, but none of the physicians had any experience with this. She had no problems until her two babies were born. She then started experiencing severe pain in her hips and knees. She had to have strong pain relievers on a daily basis. She had to use crutches in order to walk, and on longer trips she was forced to use a wheel-chair. As time passed, she became more and more disabled. After some time she could not stand and were linked to bed 24 hours a day. Her pain relievers had diminishing efficacy and it started becoming a mental as well as physical problem. Help was needed on a continuous basis, and she soon also needed assistance to take care of her children. It became impossible to take part in the daily life of her children and caring for them. She realized herself that she needed to have prostheses implanted as she had been pre-warned about this by her physician. She had read much about orthopaedic surgery and was informed by the surgeon that she would be best served with Unique prostheses since these would be individually fitted to her hips. Her first surgery took place after approx. one year. Her operation was successful and she became relieved of her pain in the right hip. After a short stay at a rehabilitation centre, she returned home for further training, and after 6 months she was ready for surgery in her left hip. Also this surgery was successful, and she was totally pain free for the first time in years. KB now felt that she had a new life in front of her. From being 100 % disabled, she could now start planning to return to work. She was very satisfied that she again could stand and walk, and that she could play with her children. She is again independent, and do not need the assistance of her husband or parents for daily routines. As a youngster KB used to have a special training scheme in a fitness centre, which she experienced as difficult to accept. Physical exercise became a nuisance. Now she could exercise doing what she felt pleasant, and for the first time in many years lead an active life! BO Male. 45 years Researcher BO got his Unique® individually designed prosthesis in May 2001. Ever since the age of 10 he had experienced problems with his hips. This was the beginning of many years of pain and problems. He could function well during normal activities, but something was wrong with his hips! During 1996 his symptoms escalated, and it became difficult to continue outdoor life. He could still function reasonably well as long as he avoided any strain or weight on his left limb. BO had to be very careful whenever walking stairs, driving a car, moving around. His symptoms worsened and he could no longer have any outdoor life. Life became less pleasant and he experienced mood swings that he had never had before. He received pain killers, but without much help. These also had a sedative effect, which was a problem at work. During 1998 he contacted his physician, who referred him to an orthopaedic surgeon. After examination he agreed with the specialist that he would be best served with prosthesis, and that Unique would be the first choice considering his age and need for a prosthesis that would last long and give him maximum hip function postoperatively. BO had great expectations to his operation. He should finally get rid of his pain. The surgeon gave him thorough information about the surgical procedure as well as about rehabilitation afterwards. His operation was successful, and he was dismissed from hospital after one week. He chose to do his rehabilitation at a rehab centre, where he spent 4 weeks before returning home. BK is currently very satisfied with his new hip. As he would start using muscles that he had not used for almost 30 years, it was important to continue regular training. As he is very found of outdoor life in the forests and mountains it is of much importance to him that he again can go hiking without pain. His advice to others in the same situation is "as a patient you need to be demanding, understand your situation and know what you want!"