Although he has taken a liking to coaching from the press box, Joe Paterno has said numerous times this season he would like to resume coaching from the sideline at some point.
After the Indiana game last weekend, Paterno said he would "probably" have hip replacement surgery after the Michigan State game to fix his ailing hip -- the root cause of his relegation to the coach's box.
When asked if Paterno's intentions were to have the surgery as soon as possible so he could be on the sideline for Penn State's bowl game, Penn State sports information director Jeff Nelson said that would be a topic Paterno himself should address.
Paterno speaks to the media on Tuesdays.
Dr. Charles Davis, who is not Paterno's doctor and spoke to the Daily Collegian Monday in general medical terms, said the recovery time a patient faces after undergoing hip replacement surgery is typically two to four weeks.
The Michigan State game is Saturday. The Rose Bowl is on Jan. 1. If Penn State beats the Spartans and Paterno has the surgery the next day, a course of action he said he would consider, that would give Paterno 38 days before he could possibly return to the sideline for the New Year's day game in Pasadena, Calif.
Assessing the information provided by Davis, a return to the sideline might not be out of the question for Paterno.
"Most surgeons would have their patients using crutches or a walker for two to four weeks after the surgery," Davis, a hip and knee replacement specialist at Hershey Medical Center, said. "And that length of time varies by surgeon and varies by how quickly the patient recovers."
Davis said that while a patient could regain his or her ability to walk soon after surgery, it would have to be assisted -- with a physical therapist -- to give the new hip time to heal.
The procedure itself is common. Davis said surgeons replace the ball end of the femur bone and the damaged hip socket with prosthetic parts, then connect them.
The surgeon said most patients can "tolerate the surgery safely" despite age. Paterno will turn 82 on Dec. 26.
Davis said a patient's past health and current physical fitness are the most important in determining risk factors for a patient that will undergo the procedure.
"Obviously patients who have more health problems have more risks," Davis said. "But for most patients it can be done very safely and it's very uncommon for patients to get into a lot of medical troubles after surgery, although it does occasionally happen."
But complications could arise after the procedure, like with any other surgery, Davis said.
The most common risks for a patient who has undergone hip replacement, are blood clots, infection and dislocation of the prosthesis, Davis said.
According to medical documents Davis recommended at Orthoinfo.org, dislocation occurs when the femur prosthesis comes out of the replaced hip socket. To avoid this, patients are instructed not to cross their legs or bend their hips at more than a 90-degree angle.
Patients are also urged to sleep with a pillow between their legs, not turn their feet excessively inward or outward.
Paterno has long been famous for running out of the tunnel despite his age. After surgery this might not be possible as patients are encouraged to avoid jogging or high-impact sports.
"All of those risks are pretty low," Davis said. "I would say 95 percent of patients do very well after hip replacement. But certainly there are risks after the surgery as there are with any surgery."
Paterno was injured early this season in practice while demonstrating an onside kick for his players. The injury, which Paterno identified after the Indiana game as an arthritic hip, has limited him this season. Paterno has used a cane and a golf cart to get around and has been forced to coach from the press box for all but three and a half games this season.
Paterno, who has the most wins of all Football Bowl Subdivision coaches, recently traded his BMW for his old Saab -- a vehicle that sits higher -- to make his transportation easier.
