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Impaired gait as a result of AAA?

Posted , 5 users are following.

julia58042
julia58042

I recently had open repair for AAA measuring 6x8 cm. I am a healthy, active female age 45. I noticed, as my AAA was growing in size that my gait was impaired- weaker hip extension muscles, psoas, etc on the right side and chronic hamstring tightness on the left. I am hypothesizing that perhaps the enlarging AAA was causing nerve innervation issues and also possible circulation issues.

Curious if anyone has/had experienced issues from a mechanical perspective with mobility, specifically the gait cycle. Walking SUPER slow is fine but when I try to walk at normal gait, all bets are off and my gait is irregular, stumbling. Thank you

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • shannon_46359
    shannon_46359 julia58042

    Posted

    Ok. Now that's interesting! I have an AAA (4.4 cm). In the past month or so, I have had tremendous pain (especially in the morning) EXACTLY where you describe. I've never had back pain act like this--and I have no memory of hurting my back. It just started one morning. I'll be very interested to hear if any others have experienced anything like this (it had not even occurred to me that there could be a relationship between these issues!). 

    • julia58042
      julia58042 shannon_46359

      Posted

      Radiating back pain is a symptom of AAA and I thought mine was from overdoing it at the gym or due to my herniated L5/S1 disc. But, in hindsight, it all lined up chronologically. The AAA increasing along w the back pain(lower left) and chronic hamstring tightness. The aorta is so close to the spinal cord that I have to believe that is why the pain demonstrates itself in certain areas posterior.  While I am just 2 weeks post surgery, the hamstring and back pain is gone and the constant need to twist and crack my back to relieve it also gone
  • gloria10315
    gloria10315 julia58042

    Posted

    I have an ascending aorta aneurysm that's 4.8 centimeters and I haven't had surgery yet and I have the same problem as you described. I have scoliosis so I thought that was the problem. Are you any better since your surgery? If you don't want to say on here could you private message me?  

    • julia58042
      julia58042 gloria10315

      Posted

      Its too early to tell. If the AAA was causing nerve innervation issues, that will take time for the nerve and/ or nerve root to become "awake" amd begin sending signals appropriately again to the muscles. It is typically NOT permanent. I am just 2 weeks post surgery so I have to ne optimistic. The aorta is near L3/4 which is the origin of most if not all of the nerves impacting gait

    • derek76
      derek76 julia58042

      Posted

      Did any of your scans prior to surgery indicate a connection between your spine and the AAA?
    • shannon_46359
      shannon_46359 gloria10315

      Posted

      Hi Gloria, I also have an Ascending Aneurysm (4.4 cm). I'm having the same pain in my lower back and along the hips (on both sides). It's worse in then morning, seems to be related to moving around (carefully) and it gets better. But the first couple of hours are excruciating! It never occurred to me that it could be related to my TAA. Have you mentioned it to your doctor? 

      Shannon 

    • julia58042
      julia58042 derek76

      Posted

      Not necessarily. My AAA was officially diagnosed and scanned just a week prior to surgery as it grew at an alarming raye. However, I had an EMG nerve condiction test a year prior and it indicated lessened capacity in the right femoral nerve. Now the light bulbs are going on but at the time, the femoral nerve issue was a head-scratcher. To date, none of my health care team seems to want to or be able to draw a line between the apparent nerve/motor function issues and the AAA. Hence my post here to see if others have experienced similiar
  • derek76
    derek76 julia58042

    Posted

    It was an interesting post and I'm surprised how many others have back pain as it something that would not be expected until late on when the aneurysm was very big.

    Mine is growing very slowly from 3.1 in 2004 to 4.0cm now. 

    May your recovery continue to go well

    • shannon_46359
      shannon_46359 derek76

      Posted

      Derek, I thought the same thing, that it seemed strange so many of us experience back pain. But, given the average age of the people with aneurysms, I have to wonder if the relationship has more to do with back pain as a result of getting old, rather than anneurism! 
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