Crutches for Life?

Thanks for your input RonC:

It sounds like you mean oxinium Ball.  The wear particles do not appear to be inert in the body.  I found information at the places I mentioned to Markm49uk below.

I only wanted, in this discussion, to understand the longterm use of crutches and any problems associated with it.  So I can make an informed decision about the choice I need to make.  I've been on crutches for more than 6 years, so I guess that I have some experience to answer that myself.

It was not clear to me before that there are other options besides THR, but crutches now look like a reasonable alternative to me.  

Any replacement with metal or plastic is guaranteed to cause problems for me.  Even ceramic has lesser problems with taper corrosion causing metallosis.  If I get any of these implants I cannot fix the problems that will arise.  

When I was told that a THR was inevitable in 2009 I looked at Birmingham Metal on Metal.  Finally I settled on Ceramic on Ceramic.  Almost zero wear, inert in the body.  I decided on 36mm ball to avoid dislocation problems.  I went to sign the papers to order it and the price I pay jumped from $1750 to $4000.  I decided to wait and see about the smaller ball.  In the meantime I learned about taper fretting, crevice corrosion and galvanic corrosion.  So those metal ions from the corrosion are going to get into my system if I get a THR and they won't if I don't.

The only reason for a THR seems to be the pain.  But lots of people have pain with the THR.  So I think that I have find out how to diminish the pain.  A hot water bottle works at night but I haven't had to use it for more than a month. 

Recently I was putting metal on a barn roof.  I had to climb 20 feet up and down a ladder,  many mant times.  First I was doing one leg at a time, injured leg stiff.  But I decided to force my self through the pain and do one leg after the other.  It was tough and painful and I had a hard time walking with crutches that night and the next day.  But I continued to force myself to climb the ladder one foot after the other.  After I used the hot water bottle a few nights, I tried climbing stairs one foot after the other.  And I can do it now, minimal pain and I haven't been able to climb stairs like that for more than 6 years.  So at the present time that looks promising.

I can advise to any one who cares, that when you walk up the stairs you can use 2 crutches.  But when you go down the stairs put both crutches in one hand on the good side and hold the rail with the other hand.  I tried going down the stairs on crutches and my right crutch slipped off the stair to the step below while the left crutch stayed where was.  The resulting momentum pole vaulted me off the stairs and I landed hard.  Fortunately there were only two steps.  If it woud have been a flight of stairs, it would have been hospital or morgue.

Thanks again RonC,

Mikey  

   

Hi Kikey no problem I can only hope that you have found the answers that help you make your choice, I was in a wheel chair for quite some time so going on crutches was a blessing for me this was due to an accident no relation to my hips, I can understand your worries but as I said you have to be sure your self that what ever way you choose is as best as possible for you, all I can do is wish you well what ever way you choose

Best Regards

Ron

Hi Jodi-France:

Thankyou for putting a name to it.  Since I understood that a THR meant cutting the top of my leg off I looked for any way I could to avoid that.  I originally thought that the Birmingham resurfacing was the way to go because they just chamfer the ball.  If it would have come in ceramic on ceramic instead of metal on metal I would have opted for that years ago.  I also found that capping the ball can cause the bone to die underneath.

I live in the wliderness on a small farm.  I don't see many people.  My wife doesn't give me any sympathy at all, and I know if I complain she will push very hard for the THR.  So I don't complain.  I carry the water for her for the animals in a 20 litre bucket, both crutches in one hand, bucket on the injured side.  And when she wants to clean the stalls I shovel manure and wheel the barrow.  It is not possible to wheel the barrow and use crutches at the same time.  So I do it without crutches. And I don't complain. And I don't get any sympathy. And it is painful, more at some times than othertimes.  I do however get thanks for helping.  And since we have been together for over 42 years...

Mikey

 

Hi Anna:

Do check what your implant is made of, all 4 parts- stem, ball, cup and liner.  When you know that, you can check at some of the medical websites mentioned to Makm49uk below and find out what the potential problems can be, and what you can do about them.  Then you can tell your doctor what you would like to be monitored for, either by blood test for metal ions or x-ray for bone loss or other.  I think that way your hip will last as long as possible without serious complications.

Mikey  

Hi Renee:

Thanks for both of your replies.  I haven't made my final decision yet.  It is only the pain that makes us think we need a THR.  If we could control the pain without drugs 'nobody' would need a THR.  I have never used drugs for pain or any other reason for the hip.  My best buddy for pain was the hot water bottle.  No side effects, unless it leaks.

Maybe in a year they'll have a better solution than the present ones.  I'll wait.  

Mikey

Hi Mark:

I have never heard the term FUD.  Can you please explain it?  

I don't understand how you equate knowing the truth with scaring people.  Some people will get 20 years before the problems occur.  A lot of people on this site, don't get 20 years before the problems occur.  And there are quite a few problems on this site showing up earlier than ever before.

Not knowing what can happen if you use metal or plastic in the prosthesis doesn't prevent it from happening!  If people know and are told the truth and they want to take the risks or certainties so that they can have fun for 20 years, then that is their choice and they have freedom to choose.  But if they were to say as a vocal group to the Health Provider,  " We need the implant but we want it free of potential problems", then perhaps they would make one that even I could be comfortable with.  I know that you speak for the rest of the people besides me,  but I don't have what it takes to make a decision that accepts certainties as risks as you have been able  to do.  If the rest of the people are willing to accept mediocrity in hip design implants, they will keep making them, and the people from now on will have no other implant to choose from.

Think about it Mark.  If you have a choice between the present types of implants with their inherent problems or an implant that lasts for 50+ years completely compatible with the body, are you going to take the risk or certainty with the first one?  Essentially that is my point.

This post only requested information about the long term use of crutches, in order to inform my decision for the future.  My wait list still has over a year to go.  In fact I have to wait over 7 months just to ask the surgeon a question regarding the size of the ball.

In the meantime I inform any one who is interested in what I have learned.  And I also write to the manufacturers to question and ecourage them to find solutions that will benefit everyone.  I hope you get your 20 years and have fun.

Mikey    

  

 

The fact that you are even considering a life on crutches and that you have to wait 7 months to see the surgeon sugests that you may not be in the pain that I was and am I was diagnosed with both hips needing to be done and dispite all my pain killers like tramadol, dithydrocodine and morphine I could only walk about 7 yds on crutches and with terrible pain, I was reffered to the hospital in Jan, I see the surgeon in Feb and had the first hip done in Mar and my second one is due to be done 3 weeks today in Jul, even with my right hip being done and it works like a new hip with no pain, I can still only walk with cructhes because of the pain in the left hip, I would never insult anybodys pain but as you can see by mine that the worse they are the quicker you get done or given the choice to have it done though its not always the way

Good luck with which either way you choose

Regards  RonC

You are incorrect - the issues you are refering to are related to metal on metal implants that are no longer used.  The conditions which you allude to are as a result of the metal on metal action imparting tiny metal particles in the tissues surrounding the hip joint and the body reacting to these resulting in the issues you have described.

Find me relevant, current, peer reviewed literature that in any way implies this issues are relevant to todays implants - I bet you cannot.

well not sure thats correct mark I had a RTHR Mar 21st and was told that it was made of Titainiun but where the ball fitted in the socket it was covered in a silicuit of some kind and that I will be getting the same with my LTHR in July

Regards  Ron

No Ron it is correct.  The actual ball and the cup used to be made of metal - now they are plastic or ceramic generally.  Yes the stem is metal (titanium or similar) but the actual parts that rub against each other are no longer metal on metal - this did lead to complications and was the subject of lawsuits in the US and the UK - Smith & Nephew were one of the companies implicated in this.  

What Mikey123 is saying is simply not true for todays implants - yes there are some risks that we are all aware of but metallosis, aseptic loosening of the implant, bone loss, pseudo tumor, dead tissue from the metallosis etc are not issues that we face today.

Mikey I am also 64 but reading some of your posts it seams to me that you don't want a THR, I have had one and the second in a couple of weeks all I can say that any relief from the pain that I was and still am with the other hip was so extreem that I could not go on with much more. for some peole I know some myself are frightened to death of the thought of the op and won't have it done, I don't condem them its their choice. but you first posted about living life on crutches etc, since then all you have done is give negitive coments and alsorts of medical reports which seams miles away from your post, their are people who have had problems after a THR but many like me that has worked better than all my dreams. If you want to know what problems would be then you should be contacting consultants etc as with no insult to anyone who is one as most of the people here are not and are just asking for other peoples advice, I found quite a few tips handy on this site, so I sugest you see the experts as most of can't even understand the medical reports you post. if you decide to live the rest of your life on crutches good luck to you, and if you do decide to have it done then i'm sure that you get nothing but support from the good people on this forum.

Best Regards

Ron