From the age of five, a childhood hip disease meant that Mark Foster always experienced pain in his left hip.
By the time he was in his 50s, the pain meant Mark could only walk short distances, so his quality of life was severely affected. The problem was caused by Perthes disease, a condition that means the hip bone softens and breaks down. When it became so bad that mobility was almost totally lost, Mark opted for a hip replacement with consultant surgeon Hugh Apthorp at The Horder Centre.