Skiing after THR

Not for me, but my cousin had bi-lateral THR and is off skiing this weekend in Colorado.

Best person to ask would be your consultant, everybody is completely different when it comes to HR and it is also down to age, fitness the type of prosthesis you have been fitted with, you sound as if the replacement has adhered pretty well but it would be horrendous if you had problems out on the slopes, ask the question and see what they say, I'm sure it will be OK but better safe than sorry.

i really admire your approach

its such a great positive message

on the other hand no one can really advise on ski thing

i was unlucky in that the fitness class i returned to put my hip at a bad angle repeatedly . i dislocated even though after 14 months

how cautious do you want to be ?

you sure will be well able to ski and only danger is falling at bad angle

Hi all,

Thanks for comments.

I did raise this with my consultant before the op as a result of which he went with a slightly larger cup (32mm rather than 28mm) as this would provide more stability. He also really pushed the idea of the post op exercises to build the muscles. His comment was essentially that there was no reason not to do it but there is always a risk which is fine.

The problem is that i have not really been able to chat with any skiers who have had the op to here their experiences. For example, were they able to ski as hard as before or have they also had to be more conservative. Also has anyone had a problem after a tumble or does the joint hold up well in the event of a fall.

As an aside, i probably waited 2 years longer than i should have to get the op. i know we are all different and i may have been lucky but it is the best decision i have made, other than meeting the mrs of course 😃

Bob

I am 6 months past on 25th since my THR and ive been running again since week 4 after the op . Oh the comments I got lol . All is well and now run around 30-35 k per week with no issues and.my first half marathon coming up in a few weeks. Always something I keep an eye open for are obstacles or slipping . The joint is really held in by muscles etc so don't see why the operated side should be any more susceptible than the other but it always seems to be . With skiing the risk is always higher and is fraught with injuries anyway . I've always said do you want the hip to rule your life or the other way around . I know which I prefer .

really enjoying these comments and great you have a slightly larger cup for stability

. you are so right that the only real risk is an actual ski accident . car driving dangerous and we never think twice about that !

however my hip felt soooo like my own and my muscles strong BUT fact is its a piece of machinery and will always dislocate easier than your own would

my hosp saw one hip dislocation a week often from farmers pushing tractors etc

surgeon who popped mine back in said " be mindfull " so ad you say watch for obstacles and work on balance .

he suggested standing one leg with eyes closed for a few secs every day !

Hi, I love skiing and I was back on my skis about 8 months post op. My surgeon was ok with it, like you I had a slightly bigger cup for stability. I was pretty cautious initially, and I tend to stick to blues and reds, but I'm sure blacks would be ok. I also avoid moguls where possible, and tend to ski more when visibility is good. As a precaution I also have some of that body armour that free style skiers wear I think , like a pair of shorts, and I just slide in the 2 protector bits to go over my right hip. I don't usually fall (fingers crossed!) but I think the biggest risk would probably be somebody crashing in to you. I usually ski in Val d'Isere, where other skiers are pretty competant. The best thing post op was how comfortable it all felt, compared with pre op, when it was often quite painful!

Reading back my post, I suppose I am more cautious, partly because I was told at my 7 month check (by a different doctor) that in the event of a bad accident, the surgery would be quite complicated.

I'm off again in about a month. I hope you have a great time!

Wow, you have guts. I just want to get back on my horses in spring. I think I would go for max strength in hips and upper leg muscles. Go for it. Don't fall or hit a tree!!!!

Hi all,

Thanks again for the comments.

I had not thought about trying out the body armour so that is well worth an investigation. I will also give the standing on one leg with my eyes shut a go although probably best not to try it after Saturday night drinkies!

It sounds like taking it easy is the way to go initially and avoiding collisions / silly tumbles if possible. My consultant told me that if i hit a tree it is more likely that i would break my leg before getting a dislocation but oddly I was not that reassured by his comment 😦.

As for the op, it really feels like it has given me my life back. I skied at the start of last year before the op but it was just too painful to enjoy. I really thought that was going to be it for me and skiing but now i cannot wait to get back to the slopes.

Hi All,

Some may recall i posted a few weeks ago to ask for people's experiences of skiing post THR. Well I've just got back from probably the best week of skiing in my life and the new hip worked a dream!

The conditions were great with lots of fresh snow, and i took it easy for the first day or two, but by the middle of the week i was giving it everything. The hip was perfectly stable, pain free and with a full range of movement. When i came back last year i honestly felt i would never ski again but the THR has given me a new lease of skiing life. i am just thankful that there are skilled medical professionals who are able to perform such miracles.

Cheers

Bob

Hi all

Really encouraged by this thread.

I wanted to be able to ski after my op just over a year ago, and my surgeon said it would be fine after 12 months. We discussed this (and tennis) at my very first visit. I'm 75, and not ready to be inactive yet. We were booked to be skiing in Cervinia in Italy this week. We had to cancel when my husband was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. (Turns out we would have had to cancel anyway thanks to coronavirus.) My husband is a now one week into his recovery from radical prostatectomy, and we have re-booked to ski next year.

I anticipate being very careful skiing (I'm a careful skier anyway). I'm much more concerned about other people on the slopes than me - our only serious accident over many years happened when an out-of-control woman crashed into my husband and fractured his shoulder.

I read somewhere that it is difficult/not possible to snow-plough after hip replacement. Is that nonsense or is there an element of truth?

Joan