Fractured Greater Trochanter Bone? Anyone ever heard of this?

Posted , 10 users are following.

Hi, I havent been on the forums for a long time because I'm in such pain. After my 2nd THR {4 weeks post op to be exact} I was doing an NHS exercise when there was a crack and my leg gave way. The long and the short of it........Emergency consultant I saw said it would heal but would take a long time.......About a couple of months later I saw the consultant that has done both THR's and he said it would never heal. I would be on 2 crutches or possibly one for the rest of my life.

OK 20 months later I'm still on crutches but the main problem is that the pain has got so much worse. I'm in agony with it especially the first 3 hours or so in the morning. I've got other conditions but can cope with the pain from those....this!!! cant find anything to ease it.

I'm normally a person who is glass half full......but recently I've been very "down"  I'm seeing the consultant again on Friday 2nd October....cant come quick enough. Anyone any ideas/ suggestions/or questions for the consultant. I get on well with him but this time I'm going to have to really lay it on thick if that makes sense.

All replies will be appreciated

Eileen UK

4 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • Posted

    Wow I really do feel for you for sure being a sufferer of hip and groin pain for months now I am so restricted in what I do. I would most definitely have it out with yr Consultant. Don't b afraid to ask questions and write things down. I know I do. I've found there's a lot of covering up of info and the like and point scoring amongst the profession so I've read. Don't let them treat you as just another statistic. Make yr pain n disability heard. Good luck.
    • Posted

      Thanks Louise

      I'm good at making notes before i go....I would be sure to forget to ask something if I didnt  LOL I also think of them as humans...not little gods. In fact one consultant wanted me to go to a pain clinic but couldnt refer me so wrote to my GP and asked her to refer me. She asked me to make an appotment. I did and all she did was spend her 10 mins telling me they would be no good, no help to me. I said I wanted to go......10 mins up, and she was over at the door, hand on the handle, Anything else I can help you with? Yes....AN APPOINTMENT TO THE PAIN CLINIC lol  The only reason I got the referral was she realised I wasnt going to move from the chair until I did LOL

      I've always got on well with this consultant....I think it would help if I didnt.!!!! But this has me beaten....well almost. I'm always a glass half full person but not at the minute.

      What about you.....I'm so sorry you are suffering with hip and groin pain.......anything they can do for it?

      Love

      Eileen  UK

    • Posted

      Yea at the end of the day they are just like you and I. I think there's a tendency to fear them. It's the way we approach them. I used to come away with .... I've waited 12 weeks to see you and didnt really get an answer to what I needed. Now I go in very angry sometimes for havi g had to wait so long but that's no good either. To be honest all the pain clinic does is explain how the brain and pain work in tandem and offer amitriptyline or similar. It's a coping place that's all and the rigmarole of getting an appt is a joke. I'm

      Prob going to have THR on right hip I have severe arthritis and moderate to severe on left. I've also FAI which is overgrowth of bone on hips. I had steroid inj 9 days ago not that good a result but not lkng Frwd to an op. was meant to have it done 3 years ago chickened out now put on weight as not very mobile, groin pain on walking, turning around. It's a nuisance. Sorry to go on but so ad I found this forum.

    • Posted

      Morning Louise

      Hope you had a reasonable night. I slept {restlessly} all night but this morning the usual, could hardly get out of bed. I'm sitting here in pj's with a cup of tea and have taken pain killers and put some pernaton cream on. {7.05|||||||am} I'll probably be here until about 8 and hope they kick in a bit by then

      I've got a good relationship with that consultant and dont want a fight with him.. 

      Dont checken out of the THR when you get another chance.  You cant live on steroid injections....thats what worries me.......its the only thing that seems to work  but I know I cant have a lot of them

      You "go on" as much as you want.......I've had a right rant to you cheesygrin

      Love

      Eileen UK

  • Posted

    I hate to ask but what type of exercise were you doing? After reading everything on here I'm thinking of not returning to PT and just walking until I'm healed. I am so sorry you are going through this😔😔
    • Posted

      Hi Tammy

      Have you had your THR? Did you get a book with exercises in it?

      Its one where you put your hands on the table {or some surface} and put the operated leg out to the side to strengthen it. This was 4 weeks post op and I had been doing it, and it was my 2nd one so I had done it for the 6 weeks then.

      Hope this helps

      Love

      Eileen UK

    • Posted

      Yes I had mine on Sept 9 and have been doing my pt this exercise twice a day. This is just more to worry about. I hope things turn out well for you 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
    • Posted

      Hi Tammy

      Dont worry about it. I was unlucky.  They said afterwards it was osteoporosis {thining of the bones} that was the reason.  It was on my notes I had osteopinia....thats the pre cursor to osteoporosis.  I was asked in the hospital after the fracture did I have osteoporosis....{consultant} I said No but I had osteopinia and was due another scan oin about a years time.. The physio asked the same and got the same answer and also a nurse but no one did anything about it. When I got home I rang the GP and she said yes next scan wa due in about a years time. I told her what had happened and she sent me for an appointment in a couple of months time.....Yes I had osteoporosis!!!!!

      So make what you want of that? Should they have warned me to go easy on some exercises?

      Love

      Eileen UK

  • Posted

    GREATER TROCHANTERIC FRACTURES

    General Characteristics

    The greater trochanter is the insertion site of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus (which aid in hip abduction) and the insertion site of the piriformis, obturator internus, and gemelli muscles (which aid in hip rotation) (Figure 1).

    There are 2 common types of greater trochanteric fractures. The first and most common is avulsion of the greater trochanteric apophysis of the femur, which occurs in skeletally immature patients.13 This fracture usually occurs from a powerful muscle contraction of the lateral hip rotators and is usually minimally displaced.13 The second type of greater trochanteric fracture usually occurs in an elderly patient who has osteoporosis and results from direct trauma, such as a fall.3 These fractures are most commonly minimally displaced, but the portion of the bone attached to the piri-formis muscle can be markedly displaced. This is the area where all the muscles come into play maybe your pain. See where in the gif. your trochanteric bone is upper right. this is where your fracture is pictured. 

  • Posted

    I also read in the same article that it is a common occurance in THR patients.

     

    • Posted

      Hi

      Thanks for your information.  Apparently it happened in my first THR but I wasnt aware of this until he showed me the  X Ray {after the second one had happened} It just showed as a hairline crack.

      The 2nd one is completely different....avulsion ...yes. I'm certainly not 13 cheesygrin I'm now 69. This happened 20 months ago.

      Did you happen to read if there was a "cure" for it?

      I have kyphoscoliosis, spinal stenosis, osteo arthritis in lots of other places {among other things} I can self mange the pain except for this trochanter one.......cant get my head around it at all. I'm a volunteer for Arthritis Care, do community talks, talk to people at support stands and advice them etc etc but at the moment I'm so down I'm trying to get out of a lot of things

      Thanks for the info

      Love

      Eileen UK

    • Posted

      Eileen I'm sorry u r feeling down a d can emphathise with you. I'm almost 60 been active all my life and lately with voluntary groups but like you have had to give everything up not because I want to but due to pain and I think a bit of depression so I'm with you on that. Really do feel for peps like us and there are many I've discovered. Were yr THR ops successful and did you have groin pain previous to the op?

      Love and best wishes

      Louise

    • Posted

      Hi Louise

      It's awful having to give up things.  The volunteering {for Arthritis Care} helped me. I saw people worse off than myself and they saw me on crutches and it gave them hope thatlife wasnt over ....when a lot of people are first diagnosed they think thats it!!!!!!!

      Yes the 2 THR's were successful until the second one  4 weeks post op. That apparently was due to osteoporosis!!!! Yes I had a little bit of groin pain before THR

      Love

      Eileen UK

  • Posted

    Im googling it all over . will let you know if I find anything more

     

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