Femoral nerve damage after THR

I am considering visiting a chiro before my second opinion.  I want to pick their brains.  I want to also find a good osteo.

Pauline, did you have the Anterior approach too? It's 4 yrs next month for me...and I still have a lot of numbness and the IT band which runs down the side of thight is numb and often burns when pain med wears off or when I stand for a while....

I have not gone for nerve conduction testings, I figure why?

I don't have the drop foot but advanced OA in the foot and ankle from the leg length discrepancy.

My surgeon's PA says this damage will not affect the replacement parts....

This surgery has been lifechanging and not in a good way.j

Pauline and Joy (and many more out there)....it is heartbreaking to hear of posts like yours....whether it was the fault of the doctor (I'm sure they don't like to admit anything), just the way our bodies reacted to surgery, or the luck of the draw...it is very sad to know that some people have such a difficult and sometimes permanent side effect from the surgery and others end up l00%.......Thank you for sharing as I know it can't be easy to read out those out there that have a full and speedy recovery, my thoughts are with you...Patricia

Patricia, I've read some 15% can end up with ths damage...who knows and it will continue as the hip replacements will continue and yes most I guess who do the anterior end up in very good shape.....faster recovery for sure.

I don't have groin pain as that is the main reason I did this, and now thinking after a lot of searching, if my Vit D had been in good ranges from 53 to about 68, perhaps the bone wouldn't have crumbled in that groin.

Conventional medicine historically is NOT into prevention...but with more awareness out there and the internet, hopefully more docs are waking up. for their patients.

Now SO MANY docs are talking about this horrible deficiency, writing books and forming councils, like the Vitamin D Council.

I cringe when I think that so many replacements could have been avoided with proper Vit D levels in our bodies for our bone support.

How many surgeons discussed Vit D deficiency issues pre op and post op....I'd bet a lot of money, NONE.

Be aware, be very aware...ask questions, they owe us answers....but don't hold your breath, I get more answers on my own.

You are so right Joy, you have to be your own advocate...when I think back to the family doctors of my youth, they certainly did give you their time but probably not too much information (and I think back then we were lead to believe that they were god-like and not to questions them) and then today the doctors don't give you much of their time (at lease in my experience - it is a one problem per 3 minute visit) and today they have access to sooooooo much information but they don't seem to pass it on...it's like you can't win!

I am not sure I was on holiday with my grandchildren and was going downstairs holding my grandsons hand I fell down just 3steps and broke my hip. I was taken to  Blackpool Victoria hospital were the surgery took place. I was in so much pain don't remember much about it. I did have a epidural but when I got back to the ward my foot was stuck up and the surgeon said then I had drop foot but at the time. Knew nothing about it. I was in so much pain and my leg was swelled a lot. It was only when I got home my doctor told me   I had nerve damage. Every doctor I have seen keep telling me I will get the feeling back but I don't believe them if I had got some feeling back I would have believed it but it's not shown much improvement. I know what you mean when you say it's life hanging I was very active before. I do try my best to get on with life but it does get you down at times. Good luck Joy and Patricia hope you get some improvement soon x

Pauline if you are in the UK, good chance your replacement is posterior replacement....for some reason I thought the femoral nerve damage was most from the Anterior approach. But guess it can be from both types of replacement protocols.

Since you broke your hip from a fall, could be too much fluoride build up in hip joint and not enough Vit D in your body for bone strength.

I've taked about both these issues since I came to this group, I'm in the U.S., so calif. Magnesium too is needed for bone health. too many are magnesium deficient.

Hi Joy yes I am in the UK will have to ask my surgeon next time I have a check up. I have had a bone density test that showed I was border line osteoporosos I was offered the tablet you take weekly but on seeing the side effects I refused it and try to strengthen my bones by diet my doctor said I may not get full blown osteoporosos and will need to have another test in a couple of years is there anything they can do for you Joy or have they told you the damage is permanent 

I had borderline osteoporosis too. I took Fosamax once a week for it for 5 years. But then I stopped the tablets and took up Tai Chi. Excellent for bone density and mine is now in normal range. I recommend it.

Hi Melvyn, x rays won't show the nerve damage only the knee replacement in place. Have you had nerve tests? I am on Tramadol but declined the nerve tablets I did not want to be spaced out! So still cope with a lot of pain. I don't sleep well because pain wakes me. Have you been properly diagnosed with femoral nerve damage? Thanks for your post. 

Hi Jackie I also read that sciatic nerve damage is less likely to recover but suppose some cases do. Also with both nerves the longer the recovery the less likely it will be complete! ! So seems we both might be stuck with some long term problems. I think prior to surgery the severity of possible nerve  damage should be explained in depth. My surgeon only went through a list of possible things going wrong. No deeper explanation if things do go wrong. I had injection in my SI joint and hip joint prior to surgery. Si joint worked but hip joint didn't.  Where did you have the injection?