Torn Labrum, 2 injections and on the verge of a hip replacment..
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Hello
Really useful forum and be great to get a little bit of help from you.
Bit of background, male, aged 43, UK.
I've been diagnosed with a torn labrum and early onset of arthiritis in my left hip. It started with groin pain after walks and after an investigation they found I had a stress fracture in my acetabular, a badly torn labrum which developed due to a impingment on my femur and also early onset of arthiritis due to the torn labrum.
So over the next 2 years I had two seperate steroid injections in the hip, the first lasting 9 months and being quite effective, the second 3 months and being less effective. I take Naproxen once a night which helps and have tried every cream and vitamin supplement under the sun to help.
Sadly its led to a semi permanent limp and weekly sharp leg buckles which feels like an electric shock (I think from the labrum tear?) certain movements bring this on such as over extending. I also now have pain in my knee which is only getting worse.
Because of the onset of arthiritis they wont allow arthroscopy to repair the labrum which I accept - I've read many stories of labrum repairs lasting very little time and ending in hip replacement.
So now I'm in a position where my only option seems to be Total Hip Replacement (or maybe resurfacing), I'm due to speak to my Consultant tomorrow.
I'm trying to wrestle with whether I should go for a THR or whether its too early. I know I will need one eventually and I know the steroid injections are having less of an effect.
I feel my quality of life has taken a hit and work and life has had to change but will a THR make me physically less able than I am now? (Can limp for 2-3 miles) Will I regret having it? (Will a THR leave me limping afterwards?) I know many people have written about how amazing it is to have one but I wonder if anyone has had one due to labrum tear rather than arthiritis and whether there was a pain threshold you reached... or an after story of improvement 😃
Thanks for your help
Alex
0 likes, 4 replies
james56388 alex04129
Edited
Hi Alex,
Let me tell you my story which is sort of similar to yours. I had a labral tear diagnosed in my mid forties and at the time the surgeon suggested I leave it or go for a resurfacing. I left it, and for the next 7 or 8 years it got progressively worse. I have just had a THR and already the arthritic pain has gone away. It's too soon to say whether the limp has gone as it's only been 2 weeks and obviously I still have residual pain from the op, but I am optimistic.
Before the op, like you I came to this forum and asked for advice. People were unanimous in saying go for the op (my arthritis was too advanced for resurfacing to be an option) and their reasoning was that it was only going to get worse. Walking for more than 15 mins was painful, and I too limped which at my relatively young age (52) was depressing. I found it limited me in terms of work options and doing day to day things, and the killer blow was my wife telling me she felt she couldn't organise a day out with me because she was worried about the pain.
My surgeon gave me a THR that involved leaving more of the legbone intact than normal, so that if I need a new one later in life, there would be enough bone for a second replacement (although many people never need a second one, even when replaced relatively early in life). Your surgeon will discuss this with you. I don't know much about resurfacing but I'm sure this will all be discussed with you.
You're in the prime of your life and if you're walking with pain and limping then I think you should get this fixed.
One other thing, you could try hip and leg strengthening exercises to see if that helps. If it doesn't, then in my opinion an operation will change your life.
That's just my opinion, do seek the advice of experts, but if you're suffering then don't worry about your age - people have THR's in their 30s or even 20s - it's not that unusual.
Good luck.
mo95097 alex04129
Edited
HI Alex - I am not someone who has had the same diagnosis as you so I can not speak from experience in the way James can, but I just want to say that I hope you have been able to discuss your concerns with your consultant and got some reassurance. I was told by mine that even if my hip needed replacing after 15/20 years there are treatment options available. Let us know what you decide.
thea63057 alex04129
Posted
Hi, sorry to hear about your pain. I think you would have to weigh all your options. Mainly your pain and mobility factors. I had my first THR at 25 and I am now 51. My first THR lasted 21 years and they were the best years of my hip. I did everything I wanted but always staying aware that I had the THR. Basically if you take care of it, it will take care of you. When the pain becomes unbearable, you may lean towards getting a new hip. They are lasting 30 years now, when I got mine in 1995, the lifetime for THR was 10-20 yrs. take
alex04129
Posted
Thank you all for your replies, its great to hear from people, all your stories give me hope and encouragement. So my appointment went well and I was prepared with a couple of pages of facts and questions. The initial option of THR or steroid injection was reviewed and it was still felt that arthroscopy was unsuitable because of the severity of the labrum tear. I asked about possible Resurfacing - which is an operation a British tennis player had (and he seems to have had a similar problem to me). My surgeon unfortunately doesn't do this operation but he offered to refer me to one that does. I feel good about this as my pain is 99% labrum tear rather than arthiritis so a resurfacing would give me an extra 10-15 years+ before I might need a THR. Ive since spoken to the secretary and fingers crossed I'll get referred in the next 6 weeks which is great news. Finally feel like I'm heading in the right direction. Will let you know how I get on!