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Fracture during THR

Posted , 7 users are following.

basia58126
basia58126

Just wondering if anyone else has suffered a femoral fracture during surgery and how this has affected their recovery. I had THR 9 weeks tomorrow and I am still walking with 2 crutches although manage with only 1 around the house. I'm 47 and slim and was pretty fit before the operation as, even though I couldn't walk easily I swam a lot.

Being non-weight bearing for 6 weeks has meant recovery has been slow but, now that I can get on with the physio exercises I am finding it quite difficult and get quite a bit of pain around the hip. The fracture was wired up during the operation but I've been told to be very careful for 12 weeks and not push against gravity. My muscles are so weak and trying to do "the clam" exercise is almost impossible... I have been doing quite a bit of hydrotherapy but am frustrated by my slow progress...

Been swimming for the first time since the op which was ok but lots of clicking in the hip and my swollen knee didn't like it much.

Any advice welcome!

Basia

5 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • lynn66084
    lynn66084 basia58126

    Posted

    I'm sorry your having such a bad time, I hope you feel better soon, sorry I cannot realy help with it. What's the clam?
    • basia58126
      basia58126 lynn66084

      Posted

      It's that funny exercise the physios make you do to tone up the glute muscles in your bum. You try to lie on your side with your knees bent and lift the operated knee up, (a bit like a clam opening its shell) but it's pretty impossible!
    • lynn66084
      lynn66084 basia58126

      Posted

      I never got that excercise, got the abduction one where you keep your leg straight and put out to the side when your standing or on the bed, It took me a while before I could do that. Hard to start with.
  • bini31328
    bini31328 basia58126

    Posted

    Sorry , ive not had the misfortune to suffer that problem so cannot help . I know its one of the recognised risks of THR . You have my sympathy . I can manage the clam - would think its possibly a bit early for you with the added complcation - appreciate your frustration and can understand how hard it is to take things a bit more slowly. Am sure the hydrotherapy will help , even if just walking in the pool. Im swimming but not using my operated leg much at all , clicking could be from the fracture so take it easy xx
    • basia58126
      basia58126 bini31328

      Posted

      oh I'm being very gentle and cautious! I don't think the clicking is the fracture, luckily, as it is more in the groin area and I have been wired up but I am loving the hydro. It's so lovely to be able to stand and walk unaided in a warm pool...
    • bini31328
      bini31328 basia58126

      Posted

      Sounds lovely ! No hydro pool near me but am using the pool at local gym which is fairly uncrowded- if you time it right . Love swimming xx
    • bini31328
      bini31328 basia58126

      Posted

      It can if you do it properly ! My swimming technique is pretty useless, i kind of do lazy crawl legs and breast stroke with arms - although inefficient i reckon it uses more calories up - my trainer at the gym said that was ok, as hed also mentioned dangers of breast stroke - in addition he said breast stroke is not good for the knees - basically i let my legs dangle mostly and do it all with the upper body ( will never make the olympics!!) 😀
    • basia58126
      basia58126 bini31328

      Posted

      Never say never 😉! I love swimming too. Going to try and do a bit more over the weekend. My kids will beat me for the first time ever (they are only 7 and 10) but not for long I hope! 
  • maryellen31601
    maryellen31601 basia58126

    Posted

    I am using two crutches since my hip operation 18months ago . have quite a bit of pain in the buttocks especially when I sit , bend or stand up from sitting , I have been referred to the pain management clinic . I hope some one can sort the problem out . I was quite fit until this second hip operation. the problem has made me very depressed and u8nable to cope , especially now that I have one leg 2.5 cm shorter than the other .
    • Soos2016
      Soos2016 maryellen31601

      Posted

      I'm sorry you are dealing with so much pain for such a long time, and that your leg is so much shorter. My son had LTHR 7 weeks ago but just had an MRi showing AVN in the other hip. So he has another THR in his future, and is very depressed by this. If you start your own discussion in the forum, you will get more responses and advice. I wish you less pain in the future, Mary Ellen.
  • janet5668
    janet5668 basia58126

    Posted

    Hi, I also had a fracture to my femur during surgery. Was yours a cemented or non-cemented prosthesis, as the risk with non-cemented is greater than the below 1% that is listed on the consent forms. I struggled for nearly twenty months before having to have re-construction surgery. This wasn't all to do with the fracture. The offset of the new implant was too great and caused abductor muscle tension, leaving me with an antalgic limp and unbearable pain when mobilising. Bone grafts were required due to a lot of bone being taken away with the first operation. I was only 55 years old and was fit and active and enjoyed visiting the gym on a regular basis. Just had my other hip replaced with a cemented procedure and had no complications. The approach was the AMIS (anterior minimally inivasive surgery) which was supposed to leave me with a small scar (3-4 inch) but the incision had to be extended due to the fracture, so now have an eight inch scar and a new scar following the revision surgery.

    Hope your pain eventually eases, but my new surgeon told me it can take up to 2 years for a hip replacement to become pain free.

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