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Ceramic Hip Replacement

Posted , 8 users are following.

bon90988
bon90988

Hi! I am 12 weeks out from Posterior THR ceramic on left side.   I broke hip in 2008 and was undiagnosed for 2 months.   When I was sent to specialist and X-rayed it showed a break that had started to mend. I then fell again  in 2015..  Noticed I was losing range of motion. Ended up I had a tear in the labrumn. Since the replacement I am having pain in butt, groin, side and lower thigh. The side pain is so tender and when my therapists touch it I could jump off table it hurts so bad. I am walking well and completing all exercises. My surgeon blew me off and I have another appointment with him in a few weeks because I don't believe this to be normal. Is anyone else experiencing these symptoms?

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • debbie04463
    debbie04463 bon90988

    Posted

    Hi not a good experience but it does not sound normal. Could possibly be sciatic nerve pain which can be stretched during surgery. It's appalling that surgeon's egos don't accept that not all surgery is without complications. See if you can get an earlier appointment. I hope it does resolve itself. You have my sympathy, my replacement was successful but suffered femoral nerve damage. 2 years on mine is not likely to improve anymore. Confirmed by specialist. Had muscle improvement but not sensory nerve.

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK debbie04463

      Posted

      I was told by a nursing friend that orthopaedic surgeons have the worst bedside nanner of all surgeons - this seems to prove the point.

      As debbie says, sounds like sciatic nerve, that canbe very painful.

      Graham - 🚀💃

    • cathie38426
      cathie38426 Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

       I must defend mine, he's a star..come to Portugal.

      Today I also love our g.p. and the blood test laboratories whose

      analysis of his blood composition show after a staphilacocus infection

      that my husband's pneumonia is vastly improved, not bad in a couple of weeks, at home.

      thinking of you and your wife on your countdown, and wishing you wll

      Cathie

    • bon90988
      bon90988 Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      It's my first experience and hopefully my last. Just think they should listen more and not just go by the X-ray.  
    • zbunnster
      zbunnster debbie04463

      Posted

      Hi debbie,

      I replied to bon above with all  my post op issues that crept up at about 10 months and getting worse by the week.  But wanted to know what were your symptoms with femoral nerve damage.  I also think I may have some sort of nerve damage, maybe obturator nerve.  But will see what the surgeon says at my appt tomorrow.  I will be pushing for sonogram, mri, anything that can hopefully see soft tissue damage, whether its, tendon, nerve or torn muscle.  I feel so disabled as I am trapped in a catch 22.  Need to exercise to get strong but hurts so bad that i cant exercise if I want to walk. ;(

    • zbunnster
      zbunnster

      Posted

      Sorry, I meant to say 10 weeks, not months!!
    • debbie04463
      debbie04463 zbunnster

      Posted

      Hi symptoms at beginning... could not lift lower leg. I would have to pick it up to move it on to a chair or get in bed etc. Thankfully resolved itself about 4 months post op. Numbness and tenderness from inner thigh under and over knee down left side to ankle. Right side of leg felt normal. If I tried to stand on leg it would give way, I fell on 3 occasions so had to wear leg brace until muscle strengthened. About 9 months post op.

      Difficulty going up or down stairs. Not enough strength in muscle which 2 years on has improved significantly but hurts to go up and still can't go down normally. No knee reflex which is still present. Electric shock type shooting pains. Lessened but still present . Leg feels like it's tightening the further I try to walk. Prickly sensations burning and extreme sensitivity when touched. I have improved with respect to muscle now receiving message to function better. But leg muscle in thigh and calf about inch smaller then normal leg. I have pain and discomfort at this point and can't bear my affected area being touched. I had and still have same difficulties as you regarding exer cise pain increases when I walk so walk very little. Exercises using the leg hurt. I hope you do not have nerve damage. Prognosis from my research is the longer the damage seems to last ie

      More than a year less likely to recover. I was told mine will no longer improve. Good luck with your appointment Ihope you get positive news.

  • renee01952
    renee01952 bon90988

    Posted

    Hi Bon,

    welcome to our hippies family ...

    Sounds complicated - I mean, you had THR surgery because of a broken hip, right?

    Was a post-op xray taken ?  DId you have your follow up appointment with your surgeon ? 

    Are you walking with a cane or some kind of support ?  

    The symptoms you mention are somewhat familiar - at 12 weeks it is very possible that pain in butt muscle , in groin, around knees, appear - EVen tenderness around the hardware, so to speak - I am 9 months post-op from 1st THR and 15 weeks 2nd THR and still have these symptoms in both legs -

    Could you go for a 2nd opinion?   

    take care, 

    big warm hug

    renee

    • bon90988
      bon90988 renee01952

      Posted

      Thank you Renee!  I did go back to my doctor who was taking care of me after the firs break. However, he wouldn't look at me after I had it replaced. He said I must go back to surgeon. So, I'm headed back. Should he have no answers for me then I will go for another opinion.  I am walking unassisted and doing well. Just have this nagging pain .

      thank you for the support and best wishes to you!,

      Bonnie

  • Kikeena
    Kikeena bon90988

    Posted

    I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. And no it doesn't sound normal. I think a second opinion would be a good idea, possibly with someone outside your area. It sounds like a complicated surgery and getting brushed off really isn't good enough. You need to know what's going on and why it's so painful.
    • bon90988
      bon90988 Kikeena

      Posted

      I have another appointment scheduled. If he blows me off again then I will be going for another opinion.   Everyone I've spoken to around my area has stated they haven't experienced any of these symptoms. Thank you for your thoughts!

      Bonnie

  • zbunnster
    zbunnster bon90988

    Posted

    Hello and I hear ya, I am about 13 weeks Post LTHR w ceramic Stryker and was doing great until between 8-10 weeks, I started to notice that the more I exercised and followed doctor and PT regimine that the pain in my butt, groin, hip flexor area, down to my knee became increasingly painful.  Now at 13 weeks it hurts to walk on that leg and am noticing more weakness between the thigh and top of knee.  The instability of that leg is so noticeable, it wobbles when I try to use it while laying on my back doing exercises.  It wants to fall inward.  So yes, the groin and butt pain is definitely an issue.  I made an unexpected appointment w my surgeon tomorrow because I need to get to the source of this pain.  Something is definitely wrong!!! So bummed and nervous ;(
    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK zbunnster

      Posted

      Oh that is not nice - Mine is ceramic at 9 weeks, not sure of make and model (note to self - must ask), and my ceramic insert is not seated correctly, so I have to have mine corrected next week.

      Do let us know the outcome of your problem.

      Happy New Year  🎈🍸 ❤ 💋 🎉

      Graham - 🚀💃

    • zbunnster
      zbunnster Rocketman_SG6UK

      Posted

      Hello again.  Happy New Year!! Went to the surgeon last thursday with my concerns, worried something had gone wrong with my new hip, but as it turns out the xray showed its in excellent condition and as for all the pain and aches I have in the butt and groin when I walk is what the dr says from my psoas and hip flexor over compensating for the lack of strength and muscle in my glutes that support my new hip (surgery).  I already had underlying weakness from my last arthroscopic labrum surgery in 2013 and now with the THR I further lost even more strength.  It all makes sense because that was also what my PT peeps were thinking.  Anyhow, dr wants me for the next 2 months until my next checkup to take  (2) Aleve twice a day (if stomach will tolerate), which it does so far, in order to cut inflammation and to step up the cardio, to break a sweat, walking, light hiking, elliptical machine, bike.  But NO straight leg lifts or clams as those irritate my psoas and flexor tendons too much.  He says STRENGTH (or lack of) is my problem, not the surgery.  So that is good news!!!! Im gonna follow that advice and see how I feel in 2 months from now.  Yay!!!!  So far so good, dont know if its the Aleve or just the positive thinking and that nothing is wrong with the new hip ball and joint!!! wink

      BTW, I asked WHY does it hurt in the front when I walk...he said because the glutes and hip muscles are so weak, the front muscles and tendons (flexors) want to try to stablize the leg when I go to walk and that all attaches to the knee as well.  Hope this helps anyone else with these issues.  (Im 3 months postop)

       

    • Rocketman_SG6UK
      Rocketman_SG6UK zbunnster

      Posted

      Thanks for that useful information - so I guess I have some hard work to strengthen my muscles after this Thursday's correction operation then.
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