Loosening of hip after a total hip replacement
I’m 30 years old, and a year ago I had a total hip replacement. I wanted to share my experience since then — it hasn’t gone the way I hoped, and I’m looking for support or anyone who’s been through something similar.
Ever since the surgery, I’ve had groin pain that just never went away. I did physical therapy for 6 months with no real improvement.
My doctor referred me for an injection to see if that would help — but unfortunately, it didn’t. The pain stayed the same.
After that, I had an MRI. It showed “edema tracking in the iliopsoas muscle and into the musculotendinous junction and proximal tendon.” Based on that, my doctor thought I might need an iliopsoas tendon lengthening surgery and referred me to a different specialist.
That doctor agreed it might help — but before jumping to surgery, we tried another injection and also ran blood work and a bone scan to rule out other issues. The bone scan came back showing signs that the prosthetic might be loosening — which was honestly devastating to hear. Now, my doctor is consulting with other orthopedic surgeons. He believes I may need another surgery to replace the socket. Hearing that just one year after my first surgery… I was heartbroken. I feel lost and unsure of what to do — I really just don’t want to live in constant pain. The pain has gotten worse and now radiates down to my knee. I’m still waiting on the next steps, but I’m sharing this in case anyone has been through something similar. If you’ve had complications after a hip replacement, or dealt with iliopsoas issues or a loose prosthesis — I’d love to hear your story. Right now I just need some guidance and hope.
Thanks for reading. It’s hard to be so open, but if this thread can connect me to someone else out there in the same boat, it’s worth it. 💙
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Hopefully, no more hip surgeries here! I’m in Vermont!
There are great university medical centers on the east coast too!
I had hip replacement 6 years ago. Then this past summer my leg in the front would hurt a lot then in November my hip started squeaking, like a squeak toy. I ended up 3 days later having revision hip surgery. My plastic liner inside the cup had broken apart and the femur head was scraping the cup. This surgery seems harder to recoup from and hurt a lot. But it’s all good now. I hope all goes good for you and the pain goes away.
Wow what a story Danny, thanks for sharing. It certainly is a story of perseverance in the presence of, what - medical indifference at best, medical malpractice at worst?
I completely agree that if you find yourself in a situation that can't be explained by your current medical team - find another. There are great doctors out there, and some not so great.
I hope your wife, and you, are better. Thanks for sharing your story - as a lesson for people going through something similar, or as a lesson on second-opinions and pre-op research.
FWIW - I look for doctors/surgeons in their mid 30s to early 40s, with a solid pedigree from a medical college and/or residency, and solid referrals. My knee and hip surgeon got his degree from LSU and did his residency at Cleveland Clinic. The acceptance place at both institutions is around 3%.
Thanks again Danny, and all the best to you and your wife.
Joe
Wow I'm glad you got your hip fixed Skipper. Once that plastic liner is damaged, the metal ball of the femur can be in contact with the metal cup on the pelvis. That can lead to metal getting into your system, not a good thing.
Thanks for sharing your experience. It is never too soon to see a Dr if you suspect something need to be addressed/fixed.
I'm so glad you're better now.
Joe