Pain and lack of ability to walk without a cane six months after hip revision surgery

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I've had 2 successful TKR and one THA.  On Feb. 22nd I had the second THA, an anterior approach THA.  On that same day, when questioned about the THA by the Physical therapist, I noted that I had a lot of pain and that I couldn't easily even move the affected leg.  I noted that this was very different from the experience I had with the other THA.  While I went home to an easy recovery with the first THA, I was never able to do any PT in the hospital and it was recommended that I go to a short term rehab facility.  I experienced the same pain and inability to lift the affected leg more than an inch off the ground.  I complained to the PT staff and found that the pain sometimes reduced me to tears.  13 days after the THA, I went with great pain to have the stitches removed.  the PA took an x-ray and told me that my pain was due to a fractured femur.  I was sent back to the hospital to prepare for revision surgery.  That night the imaging staff took and x-ray of the affected hip.  the following morning I was taken to the PACU to prepare for surgery only to be taken back to my room without explanation.  Later that day i had a CT scan of the THA.  I had the surgery on the following day.  It has been almost six months since that surgery and I have progressed but still have pain and can't walk without a cane.  the orthopedist told me to stop PT about four weeks ago and has no explanation for my disability only offering platitudes such as "everyone heals differently"   Recently I reviewed the tests including the x-rays that are posted on the hospital's patient portal.  You can imagine my chagrin to find that the x-ray take in the evening after I was sent back to the hospital because of the x-ray in the morning which showed the fracture (which I saw) that later x-ray showed NO FRACTURE...which explains why they called off the surgery the next morning and asked for a CT scan.  the surgeon assured me that the x-ray taken immediately after the first surgery did not find a fracture, but if the other x-ray taken in the same hospital 13 days later did not catch tthe fracture, is it possible that the first x-ray was incorrect and that I was sent out that that first surgery with a fractured femur?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    That is quite possible. Sometimes the femur is fractured during the replacement when the stem is forced down into the cut femur. I've read posts from people it happened to. Immediately after my THR I had intense pain and couldn't lift my leg. I was still having much difficulty moving the leg two weeks later, and I did not have a fracture. So your symptoms could go either way.

    Did the CT scan show a fracture? Was the second surgery to repair the femur fracture?

    • Posted

      CT shoes fracture. Second surgery repaired the fracture and replaced the prosthesis with a longer one. X-rays and second CT Can't visualise all that us going on because of all of the metal used in the repair.

  • Posted

    wow... so after all that... was your femur fractured? or do you really know?
    • Posted

      disregard, i see that it was... sorry to hear about that.. hopfully your getting better now?

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