Falling

Hi Ducksoup, I definitely believe my gait was affected somewhat by my THR, and I think it is not uncommon. I am still adjusting to it I feel sure. I suspect there is a wide range among patients in the extent of those changes. There are reports of leg lengthening after THR in some cases, which would affect gait. I suppose some people find their gait changes for the better, but it’s still an adjustment the body has to make.  You sound like a very active and confident person. Maybe with those bumpy Spanish roads, you could perhaps be just a wee bit more cautious  as you don’t want to keep falling and undoing all of the good your surgery did! 

Even after 2 years has passes, sometimes I notice I seem to 'lose' control of my leg, and have a little stagger as I get myself back on track again. I did it today, inside the house 

Tripped up in Malta. Got picked up by a man in full medieval armour, a participant in the Knights Templar exhibition. My friends accused me of doing it deliberatly!

I had my right hip replaced in 2016 and was advised that my left needed replacing too (eventually done in 2017), in between the two ops, I kept falling over which I put down to a change in gait.  However, when I mentioned it to my surgeon he completed poo-pooed the idea.

I have thought about it quite a bit and disagree with the surgeon.  It seems to me that after my first op, my right leg was a bit slow in reacting and seemed prone to misjudging how high/far to lift and wasn't that stable.  I even fell over (albeit on mud) and managed to break my wrist at one point, though whether this actually had anything to do with my gait or just the slippery mud, I don't know.

I can confirm that now I've had both hips replaced, I haven't fallen over/tripped at all (though if we get the amount of snow that's forecast, all bets are off).

Hi Ducksoup,

I'm 11 weeks and not fallen over yet which is lucky as before the op I would fall off my bike quite regularly

and am grateful for my helmets. I cycle in Spain on holiday and love their traffic-free back roads and canal paths, here in uk I'm very wary of cycling on roads , much prefer  unused rail tracks etc.

I was actually knocked off my bike 6 weeks before my op by a car which

came out of a minor road at me but luckily for us both he hit the brakes before squashing me. I was knocked off my bike but no damage to me or bike apart from bruising of the hip being replaced.

I think your gait is partly to blame but a lot of it is bad luck and in my case lack of concentration. I could go on and tell you about the time I got my front wheel stuck in the 1/2'' gap at the edge of a road drain, but I wont.

Hope you continue your recovery incident free. Me, I'll await my next inevitable falling off or knocking off.

Hi Ducksoup,

I have fallen twice in my den (here in Tennessee).  Once, I just simply fell getting out of a chair, another when my walker wheel got caught on an iron table leg and I flew over the top.  I am totally convinced, in my case, it seems, that I drop everything now, that I trip all of the time and that I stumble when transferring from my walker to my bed or to the bathroom.  I think it's exasperated because we're so aware now.  Before, I thought nothing of a stumble or dropping a set of car keys.

Having said that.....falling is a BAD thing.  You already know that.  We cannot afford to fall.  I am a tippy toe girl until this revision is clear and I'm in no present danger.

I hope you don't fall again and that you continue to ride that bike.  I have been on Mopeds in downtown Barcelona many times and not had such bad luck as I do in my own den in Tennessee!  And those Barcelona drivers are fast folks!!!

I found that I had to concentrate on the direction of my stride on the affected side.  The leg would to swing away and not always raise the foot enough.  I was worried about stumbling.  So I concentrated on the stride and now it comes naturally.  Fortunately the answer to your question is never did I fall but I did recover from a few stumbles.

About 10 weeks after THR I was at the grocery store . A woman with a baby came running up to me yelling help...her baby was choking. I grabbed the baby and knew I couldn't hold her and placed the baby on the bread counter tummy down while patting on her back waiting for EMT. I wasn't sure if breathing had returned until ER arrived and took over baby was OK !  After everyone cleared the area it hit me, this was a very traumatic ordeal and I started shaking then my legs gave out and down I went. I sat on the floor wondering how the heck I was going to get up. Just then another lady came thru the isle and rescued me.