Last Updated September 17, 2026
Conditions Center · Musculoskeletal · Social Security Disability
Also called total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, THA, TKA, failed joint replacement.
A hip or knee replacement can support SSDI or SSI when recovery fails Listing 1.17’s assistive-device and duration rules, when residual joint findings meet Listing 1.18, or when walking and standing limits rule out sustained work. SSA does not approve a claim because surgery was performed, a surgeon predicted a long recovery, or the person still has expected postoperative pain at six weeks.
What is Hip or Knee Replacement?
Hip and knee arthroplasty replace damaged joint surfaces, usually for osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, osteonecrosis, or fracture. Most people improve. Failed recovery can involve infection, loosening, instability, stiffness, persistent pain, or the need for revision. Weight-bearing and assistive-device use during rehabilitation are expected for a time; the listings require lasting limits and documented medical need for specified devices.
Common symptoms of Hip or Knee Replacement
- Persistent pain, stiffness, or instability after replacement
- Limited walking distance or inability to negotiate stairs
- Need for a walker, two canes, or a wheelchair beyond expected recovery
- Swelling, drainage, or fever if infection is present
- Reduced range of motion after a “stiff” knee or failed hip reconstruction
How can Hip or Knee Replacement affect a person’s ability to work?
- Inability to stand or walk through a workday without a two-handed device
- Lifting and carrying limits after revision or infection
- Absences for revision surgery, wound care, or physical therapy
- Need to elevate the leg or change positions
- Safety limits on ladders, uneven ground, or production-line standing
Does Social Security have a Listing for Hip or Knee Replacement?
Social Security currently has listing criteria that may apply: 1.17 (Reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing joint); 1.18 (Abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity). Meeting a listing requires the specific medical findings in that listing, not only the diagnosis.
- Listing 1.17: Reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing joint
- Listing 1.18: Abnormality of a major joint(s) in any extremity
Listing 1.17 requires all of A, B, and C: history of reconstructive surgery or surgical arthrodesis of a major weight-bearing joint (hip, knee, or ankle-foot); impairment-related physical limitation lasting or expected to last 12 continuous months; and a documented medical need for a walker, bilateral canes, bilateral crutches, or a wheeled and seated mobility device involving both hands. A routine recovery that restores independent walking does not meet 1.17. Listing 1.18 addresses major-joint abnormality with pain or stiffness, abnormal motion, instability, or immobility, objective examination or imaging, 12-month duration, and specified functional criteria (including two-handed assistive devices or inability to use the upper extremities effectively). Failed or revision arthroplasty may still be 1.17 or 1.18 depending on the record. Upper-extremity joint replacements are not 1.17 (weight-bearing joints only).
SSA documents the reconstructive procedure and current function. Listing 1.17 is met only when 12-month duration and the specified two-handed device need are all present. If 1.17 is not met, 1.18 may apply to residual joint abnormality. Otherwise RFC addresses standing, walking, and postural limits. Osteoarthritis before surgery is discussed on the osteoarthritis page; inflammatory disease may also involve 14.09.
Can you qualify if you do not meet an SSA Listing?
Yes. Failed recovery that misses 1.17’s two-handed-device criterion may still preclude past standing work through RFC and vocational rules.
What medical evidence may help document Hip or Knee Replacement?
- Operative reports of primary or revision arthroplasty or arthrodesis
- Orthopedic follow-up describing gait, device need, and complications
- Physical-therapy measures of walking distance and assistive-device use
- Imaging of loosening, fracture, or infection when performed
- Infectious-disease records if prosthetic joint infection is treated
Testing, imaging, and laboratory studies
- X-rays or other imaging of the prosthesis and joint
- Inflammatory markers and cultures when infection is evaluated
- No implant-brand or metal-on-metal status is a listing
Expected postoperative recovery should be distinguished from failed recovery lasting 12 months. Revision, explant, spacer, and suppression-antibiotic courses belong on the timeline. Product-liability hip or knee articles on the blog are not this guide.
How SSA may evaluate residual functional capacity
A person who walks with a single cane after an otherwise successful replacement often fails 1.17. RFC may still limit standing jobs. Do not treat a surgeon’s “out of work 12 weeks” note as a listing.
Supported limits typically reduce standing, walking, climbing, kneeling, and lifting. Sit-down work may remain possible unless sitting also aggravates the joint or other impairments combine.
Common issues that can weaken a disability claim involving Hip or Knee Replacement
Applying during routine recovery; no documentation of medical need for a walker or two canes; or assuming every replacement meets 1.17.
What may strengthen the medical documentation
Operative reports, serial gait and device notes, and a clear 12-month functional picture after the expected healing period.
Hip or Knee Replacement and related medical conditions
- Amputation — SSA evaluates amputation under Listing 1.20. Bilateral upper-extremity loss at or above the wrists, hemipelvectomy or hip disarticulation, specified combinations, or complicated residual limbs with inability to use a prosthesis can meet the listing. A below-knee amputation with a well-fitting prosthesis often does not.
- Chronic Back Pain — A symptom, not a listing. SSA needs a medically determinable cause and documented functional limits. This page links the common spine diagnoses.
- Inflammatory Arthritis — A broad group of immune-mediated joint and spine diseases, including psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Listing 14.09 has several disease-pattern pathways.
- Osteoarthritis — Joint cartilage wear that can limit standing, walking, or use of the hands. SSA may consider Listing 1.18 when a major joint meets current criteria.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis — An inflammatory autoimmune arthritis. SSA may evaluate it under Listing 14.09 when the current immune-system criteria are met.
How Brock & Stout may help
We compare postoperative function with Listings 1.17 and 1.18, distinguish expected recovery from failed reconstruction, and develop standing-and-walking RFC. Representation cannot guarantee approval.
Frequently asked questions
No. Listing 1.17 requires lasting musculoskeletal limits and a documented medical need for a walker, bilateral canes or crutches, or a two-handed wheeled mobility device. Many people return to work after routine recovery.
Revision surgery is still reconstructive surgery of a major weight-bearing joint. SSA applies 1.17 or 1.18 to current function and duration, not to the number of operations alone.
Related Brock & Stout resources
Speak with a Social Security Disability attorney
If Hip or Knee Replacement is affecting your ability to work, Brock & Stout can review the claim, look for missing medical evidence, and discuss next steps. We do not charge a fee for SSD representation unless we win.
This page is general educational information about Social Security Disability as of the date of this publication. It is not legal or medical advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and does not guarantee results. Eligibility depends on individual facts and current Social Security rules.
