Why does a new hip fail ?

Thanks Steve - 20-30 yrs should see me through to the next generation hip replacement made from artificial bone that regrows itself ( maybe )

Hi Richard

your hip has lasted 20yrs and you work in farming and building? - amazing. My trade is as an engineer on building sites which isnt really heavy work just lots of mud and rough ground. My consultant has told me to give it up. How heavy has the work you do been pls? If I could go back for a couple of days a week or say do one week in four, it would help the finances as I have always been self-employed.

thanks Paul

Hello Paul

The farming has been on a small hill farm on very steep land so much of the time walking has meant walking across slopes. Looking after the sheep means quite an amount of physical work also stuff like fencing and quite a lot of heavy lifting. Cutting down trees etc. There is nothing light weight about this sort of farming and of course the sheep need to be handled and lifted and restrained and feed needs to be carried to them...bales of hay and concentrates all quite heavy also unloading hay lorries and carrying and stacking all by hand.

The building work has involved me in all trades right through building in stone which involved getting the materials up onto scaffolding to then use. Roofing which meant re-building the whole roof structure followed by tiling. Using slate and heavy real stone tiles. Plastering, underpinning, mixing many lorry loads of morter and concrete, installing septic tanks and deep drainage runs etc.

I hope that gives you a sense of what I've put my replacement hip through over the twenty years. It might be worth me saying that I only weigh just over ten stone but am pretty fit.

My total ankle replacement has recently failed after four years but that is due to bone cysts caused by Osteolysis.

Cheers

Richard

That gives me real hope reading what you've been able to do with your new hip.

I'm a horse owner which although not on your scale, still involves pushing heavy wheelbarrows, stacking hay bales, mucking out and many other heavy manual jobs about the yard.

I'm only 7weeks post op and have a friend doing my horse for me at moment.

At least having read your reply I know I should be able to get back to normal eventually.

Glad that it helped you and good luck with your recovery.

Cheers

Richard

Haha - I have been swimming lots lately with a shaped float between my legs to keep them still so they dont get too sore, This allows me to do either breaststroke or crawl with my top half and is great exercise.

 Do you consider hillclimbs on the bike are more impactful than is wise - I always seem happiest when heading for the hills on my bike

Cheers Paul

Lovely to hear you are doing all the things I really miss at the moment though - thank you

I never felt comfortable on a horse after I had the hip done. Pushing the leg sideways was uncomfortable. Shame, but my old horse is now eating grass in horse heaven and I don't think I get another one.

Mike

Great to hear you are already planning getting back on the horse ( metaphorically and physically ) Is there any reason they chose to use a cemented stem - mine has chosen non cemented. I wonder whether the cement means it is less likely to loosen - which is my biggest fear.

Hi Paul,

It was the computer got it wrong it put 'in' instead of 'un'.

My prosthesis is uncemented as well. Like you I was unsure about it and worried it may loosen.

What I was told was that because I'm younger...60! They always do uncemented as they coat the cup with a powder that encourages your own bone to grow over the cup and its more secure. Also in 20 years time when it needs replacing it'll be easier to take out than if it had been cemented in.

I also had an uncemented thr being 55 at the time. I rather dread what I may be facing if they are not able to just replace the poly as I understand the ultrasound can be used to remove a cemented prostethis. The idea of removal where the bone grows around the prosthesis as in my case fills me with dread!!

Cheers

Richard