Tiffani Thiessen says she needs a hip replacement at 52 after learning she has hip dysplasia and a torn labrum. The Saved by the Bell actress shared the news on the Nov. 10 episode of Breaking Bread with Tom Papa, explaining that the pain had become severe enough to keep her from playing pickleball with her family.
"I have to get a hip replacement - I do," Thiessen told Papa. She said she danced when she was younger and already knew she had a torn labrum. She learned she also had hip dysplasia when she sought a second opinion. Thiessen did not share a date for the surgery during the interview.
Hip dysplasia occurs when the hip socket does not fully cover the ball at the top of the thighbone, according to Mayo Clinic. The condition can damage the labrum, the ring of cartilage around the hip socket.
For Thiessen, one of the immediate changes has been missing games with her 11-year-old son, Holt. She said she had been off the court for a couple of weeks because of the pain. Holt had taken up pickleball less than a year earlier and was already getting the better of her. "He's actually starting to beat me now," she joked.
Thiessen, who rose to fame as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell and later joined Beverly Hills, 90210, also spoke about her latest series, Coven Academy. She told Papa that working with the show's younger actors has given her a chance to learn from a new generation of performers.
Listen to Tiffani Thiessen's interview on Breaking Bread with Tom Papa
