A young kitesurfer from Essex who compared the stabbing sensation in her hip to 'barbed wire' has become one of the first people in the world to receive a groundbreaking ceramic hip implant, averting a full hip replacement at just 30 years old.
From Surfing Agony to a Shocking Diagnosis
Georgina Monti, a 30-year-old project coordinator from Benfleet, first noticed a niggle in her right hip while kitesurfing and free-diving in September 2023. Initially, she dismissed it as an old surfing injury from when she was 17. "It's normal to get a few aches and pains after some intense exercise, but the pain I was experiencing became more intense," Georgina recalled.
She tried to power through the discomfort, but her mobility rapidly declined. "I was training horses at the time, and when I got off them, I found myself barely able to walk," she said. The searing pain soon kept her awake at night and made simple tasks like tying her shoes a monumental struggle. By the end, she was forced to give up all sports and could not walk without crutches.
Finally, in October 2024, Georgina went for an MRI scan. The results were devastating: her femoral head – the rounded top of the thigh bone – had collapsed. The cause was avascular necrosis, a condition where bone tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply.
A Revolutionary Alternative to Hip Replacement
Faced with the prospect of a total hip replacement, Georgina was disheartened. "I kept hearing about hip replacements, which no 30-year-old wants to hear," she explained. Determined to find another way, she sought a second opinion at Cleveland Clinic London with consultant orthopaedic surgeon Professor Justin Cobb.
Professor Cobb offered her an innovative solution: a hip resurfacing procedure using a ceramic implant. This alternative to a full replacement preserves much more of the patient's natural bone. Professor Cobb elaborated, "While a great option, a total hip replacement is not the best approach for everyone. For instance, it can reduce the amount of exercise a patient can take."
This new ceramic implant is one of the first of its kind in the world to receive regulatory approval, making it a pioneering option for younger, active patients like Georgina.
A New Lease on Life and a Warning to Others
In August 2025, Georgina underwent the successful surgery. The results were immediate and profound. "After surgery, Professor Cobb told me everything went great," Georgina said. "Then he lifted my leg and brought my knee toward my chest - something I hadn't been able to do for at least two years."
She is now training with her exercise physiologist seven days a week and is thrilled with her drastically improved range of motion. As she continues her recovery, she is enjoying simple pleasures like walking her dog, Lucy, and is committed to returning to the sports she loves.
Reflecting on her ordeal, Georgina urges others not to ignore their pain. "I put off having a scan longer than I should have, partly because I didn't want to know," she admitted. "But getting it checked out meant I could actually fix the problem. Don't be scared to take that step. There's so much they can do now for hip preservation, and it turned out to be the best possible thing I could have done."
