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Muscle tear in hip

Posted , 6 users are following.

barb31596
barb31596

i am 3 months post op. My question- how can you tell if there is a hip muscle tear? I tore my quad muscle tripping over a curb and had that repaired 2 weeks ago. But I am wondering if I also tore a muscle in my hip- lots of pain and can barely walk a block with pain medication and a trekking pole. Pain worse since trip; but limp not as bad as I have read here that others are suffering. 

MD tells me hip is hard to image as I also have hardware in my back. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Barb

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • AnnieK
    AnnieK barb31596

    Posted

    Barb, since you had surgery to repair a quad tear, you must still be having pain from that. Is there additional pain in the hip/buttock area? I have a torn gluteus medius tendon/muscle. I have had pain over the trochanter, down my thigh in front and on the side, and in my buttock ever since my THR in July 2015. Even more significantly, I have extreme weakness in that leg also since last July, in that I am unable to balance on my surgical leg for even a second without immediate, dramatic hip drop and a need to put the other leg down right away, and consequently a nasty limp. An orthopedist would check your levels of pain and the locations of the pain, any weakness in leg/hip muscles, and probably use ultrasound and/or MRI scans for diagnosis as well. Ultrasound doesn't have distorted images from the implants.

    MRI is the most useful imaging technique for diagnosis of hip muscle tears. I had a MARS MRI done on my hip (Metal Artifact Reduction Sequence), and while there is some distortion of the images in the area directly surrounding the titanium implants, you can very clearly see all of the musculature of the hip from many different angles in those scans. I made quite a study of mine (they give you a CD with all the images on it), compared to what normal tissue looks like from scans found on the internet that label what all of the bones, muscles, connective tissue, etc. are. It's actually fairly easy to see what is going on. You have to beware of the people who are interpreting your scans, though, since I had 2 MRI's (for two different doctors), and 2 radiologists and 1 of the orthopedists missed my torn gluteal tendon/muscle. Needless to say, I am not seeing that orthopedist any more.

    • barb31596
      barb31596 AnnieK

      Posted

      Annie,

       

      There are not words to tell you what helpful information you gave me. I have never heard of this type of MRI;but have a call into the surgeon's office. Your perserverance has really been an inspiration to me. I am so sorry for all the needless pain you have had. I hope you have a date for your upcoming surgery. I can only imagine what it will be like to have your life back.

    • AnnieK
      AnnieK barb31596

      Posted

      Barb, so glad that my info might be helpful to you! Keep pressing for effective help. Us squeaky wheels at least have a chance of getting help. I have discovered that some doctors just have holes in their knowledge about some things that they SHOULD know about. But if they don't, we just have to educate them (hard to do, as they don't want to listen!) or find other doctors. Orthopedics isn't rocket science, after all, someone out there will be able to figure our problems. 

      I had talked my original surgeon into ordering my first hip MRI (he was convinced that nothing wrong would be found) but he ordered it anyway. And he did NOT specify a MARS MRI. I had found out about those on my own, so I called the place where I was having it done and told them that was what I wanted. Apparently my original surgeon didn't even know about MARS. And he certainly didn't know how to read the scans, since he missed my gluteus medius tear on the scans. So it can be a difficult road that you are on. Best of luck to you!

      No, I don't have a date for surgery yet, darn it. But I am working on getting a diagnosis for my obstructive sleep apnea in the meantime, so that maybe I can get a device that will help me sleep on my back after the next surgery. Saw the pulmonologist yesterday and I have an overnight sleep study scheduled in 2 weeks. Then I can try out a CPAP machine and perhaps can get more restful sleep. 

  • renee01952
    renee01952 barb31596

    Posted

    Hi Barb, 

    So sorry to hear this ...

    I agree with Annie's comment that you probably are still healing from last surgery - I picture this tear  in quad muscle and frayed parts repaired - as good as surgeon has done his job, your body, her cells etc. still have to weave it in to something sturdy - the surrounding area probaly is affected as well - did surgeon use same incision ? 

    It is frustrating, isn't it?  maybe you can use a walking aid until you feel stable enough to go without - 

    big warm hug

    renee

    • barb31596
      barb31596 renee01952

      Posted

      Renee,

      Actually, my quad repair incision is over my knee. He did use the same incision; but the one he had made to put in my total knee.😊 When I had my THA, he told me 6 weeks; because "you always bounce back so quickly". Its now 13 weeks and though the repair of the quad tear is coming along, it is my hip that is behaving badly. I have friends, one in particular, who had both hips replaced at the same time and was doing her own shopping at 3 weeks, never took a pain med and we are in our early 70s. So it is hard not to compare. We are all hikers here in the mountains of W. North Carolina and all this sitting around is pour les oiseaux. Thanks for reading this and for your kind thoughts. I do love this forum.

      Hugs from the mountains,

      Barb

    • renee01952
      renee01952 barb31596

      Posted

      Oh dear ... that is tough, barb -

      your surgeon who told you 6 weeks because "you always bounce back so quickly"  and your friend who had bilateral THR and was going all independent at 3 weeks post-op - and the looming trip May 12 -

      No wonder you are frustrated and upset - it is very hard to not compare in your case - 

      Maybe go back to your surgeon and ask again for an MRI or something to take away your worries -

      When did you have your knee surgeries?   

      Wishing you peace of mind darling - and please be kind to yourself -

      Must be beautiful where you live - I envy the birds you sit with wink

  • captaincoupling
    captaincoupling barb31596

    Posted

    well - i know i have a "damaged" tendon in my hip... lots of hip pain in the groin... the big thigh muscle - sore and tender. nothing down the leg. sorer! - lifting the leg to go up stairs or into the car- again in the groin... really no strength to lift leg anyway. doesnt really go away. jumps at you after you have neeb sitting and then get up.. Or after you have been in the car for a while... ouch. i walk - waddle, favoring the other leg. dont know if you have any of these fun things..but all the info I can give u at the moment.. I wouldnt, exercise it... if something is tore,, it wont make it any better...
    • barb31596
      barb31596 captaincoupling

      Posted

      Thanks Captain for your input. I have a lot of pain in my hip radiating to my groin and down my thigh. I have no idea if I have a tendon or muscle tear; but feel I am loosing ground with every passing week.
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