She found, the second time around, "big differences." She went home on a Saturday, using crutches. By Wednesday, she'd dumped them. She had fewer restrictions on simple movements, like how to get out of a chair or even sit in one. And the pain level was less. "I'm certain I didn't take a pain pill after the first week. I was 100 percent a long time ago."

An avid golfer, she's out on the course doing whatever she likes, where before surgery she couldn't turn or walk well. She's always enjoyed daily workouts on the treadmill but had given that up. She went back to it, slowly, after the first week, she said.

Mulkey's an educational consultant, training teachers in and out of Utah on how to teach kids social skills, behavior management and other things. Travel was a big part of her job, and it had become very painful. She's now back to it, without problems.

In November, Mulkey, now 59, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and the ability to exercise more fully and every day is important to managing that disease, she said. "Physically, I'm doing everything I used to do."

It's been 10 weeks now since Wallin, 65, had his hip replaced. And the retired emergency room doctor returned several weeks ago to the foothills he loves to hike. He expects he'll be riding his bicycle soon, as well, which he'll follow with a winter packed with ski days.

Still, happy as they are with the results they're seeing, Mariani said the three doctors are taking a somewhat cautious approach. It's too new to have had much long-term information available. They're doing their own studies, tracking patients to see how they do.

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E-mail: lois@desnews.com