Former Bolton and Wigan footballer Kevin McNaughton became an internet hit following hip replacement surgery. From his hospital bed, the 39-year-old Scot tweeted pictures of a guidance leaflet handed to patients by NHS Tayside titled 'safe sexual positions following a hip replacement'.
"Couldn't make it up," wrote the former journeyman defender who played for Aberdeen, Cardiff, Bolton, Wigan and Inverness as well as for Scotland, incredulous at the enclosed diagrams of the more adventurous sexual positions the trust advises against. His post was quickly shared almost 20,000 times.
But behind the general hilarity which ensued is a serious point: every year tens of thousands of people are handed a new lease of life thanks to hip replacement surgery - and, increasingly, they are being given to much younger patients, like Kevin, because of increased confidence in the longevity of the replacement joints, according to the Royal College of Surgeons. And they can help people who have perhaps lived with pain have better sex.
And younger people, it seems, are going to be much more interested in knowing when, and how exactly, they should be giving their new hip a run-out in the bedroom.
Following a career spanning almost 20 years, which included 472 club appearances and four for Scotland, the rigours of professional football have clearly taken their toll on Kevin McNaughton.
"In for a new hip today - the old one put in a good shift," tweeted McNaughton, now a youth team coach at Dundee, on Thursday morning. After his surgery, he was handed the advice booklet and quickly shared its contents, which illustrated 'the sexual positions to be avoided'.
"There are other safe and unsafe positions and methods of obtaining sexual satisfaction. Think them through. If necessary, be ready to try something new to help protect your new hip," reads the document before a series of drawings of sexual positions with a big cross drawn through them with the accompanying warning: "Too much hip flexion."
According to Healthline.com: "Hip replacement surgery can open up a world of possibilities for people who have lived with pain and restricted movement. Part of those possibilities includes a better and more comfortable sex life.
"In general, you can resume sexual activity within 3 to 8 weeks after surgery, and sometimes sooner, if it is approved by your doctor. For comfort and safety, avoid positions that require an extreme range of motion or move your hip past 90 degrees. This still leaves several positions suited for sexual activity, including missionary, side-lying (on the non-operated side), and standing."
The NHS says although common hip replacement is still considered a major surgery: "Adults of any age can be considered for a hip replacement, although most are done on people between the ages of 60 and 80. A modern artificial hip joint is designed to last for at least 15 years. Most people have a significant reduction in pain and improvement in their range of movement."
Among the celebrities who have had hip replacement operations are Coronation Street actress Beverley Callard, TV presented Eamonn Holmes, singer Tom Jones and athletes such as tennis star Sir Andy Murray.
