At the beginning there was much pain, even with a Cane. I could not walk far distances and i needed much pain medication. But in a few month the pain disapeard and finally i put away my cane. Your Body can compensate the missing hip joint very good, if you work for it every day. But for all this effort you get a nearly normal life back. I live in the 4th floor and i still have no elevator.
I am so impressed by your journey.
You must be a fighter like myself. I made up my mind that I would research the possibility of walking without a walker snd there you were! How though is it possible that you didn't damage whatever is left in hip area, and my right leg is about 4 inches shorter so I would need an orthotic. Where do I get it and is it covered? I have medicare.
Yes I’ve had significant leg length difference. I have always worn a shoe with a lift but we had to increase it. It has been almost a year since last surgery where I was left without a hip. I’m doing very well though do need a walker. I might be able to advance to 2 canes. Still some limitations but wow after 8 years no more infections!
I am so impressed by your journey.
You must be a fighter like myself. I made up my mind that I would research the possibility of walking without a walker snd there you were! How though is it possible that you didn't damage whatever is left in hip area, and my right leg is about 4 inches shorter so I would need an orthotic. Where do I get it and is it covered? I have medicare.
Please, if anyone has bern anle to walk without a hip please tell me your ecperience. I have been told it is possible if you PT hard and develop muscle and scar tissue which compensate gor missing hip. Nancy
Please, if anyone has bern anle to walk without a hip please tell me your ecperience. I have been told it is possible if you PT hard and develop muscle and scar tissue which compensate gor missing hip. Nancy
Hi @starstruck, you'll notice that I moved your message to the discussion of the same name where you were connecting with others like @tlserenity@koala78 @anonymous122054 @rayban33 about walking without a hip.
You mention you heard that working physiotherapist to develop muscle and scar tissue can help compensate for the lack of hip. Can you tell us a bit more about where you heard this and how it works?
Hi @starstruck, you'll notice that I moved your message to the discussion of the same name where you were connecting with others like @tlserenity@koala78 @anonymous122054 @rayban33 about walking without a hip.
You mention you heard that working physiotherapist to develop muscle and scar tissue can help compensate for the lack of hip. Can you tell us a bit more about where you heard this and how it works?
A while back while in the hospital after one of my anout to be failed attempt at a new hip, the head of the hospital came to evaluate my situation before setting up my interim schedule. At that time I asked him if such a thing as walking without a hip were possible and he related that he knew of an older vietnam vet that had to have a bad hip replaced but was reluctant to get another one put in and therefore over time had managed to compensate. PT person said it wasn't the most graceful walk but this older guy got him where he was going and that was all he wantwd. Again on this site a woman related that with hard rehab, strengthening of muscle and up scar tissue had gone from wheelchair to walker and working up to a cane. So this gives me hope and I welcome hearing of any other like experiences.
@dzoneill I am sorry to hear of your situation and I can totally relate to your situation however mine came in a different form. In 2005 I was in a head on collision with a semi which caused my left hip to dislocate (along with numerous other traumatic injuries) they were able to put my hip back into place without surgery however a couple weeks later when doing physical therapy it became dislocated again. So the decision was made to put hardware in to try and stabilize it from dislocation, which worked until my femoral head became necrotic a year later . At that point they decided to do the first THR ...it was great ...but it only lasted two weeks and then I got Staph infection and it had to be removed. So then they put in a concrete hip spacer.. Needless to say we went back and forth like this 4 times over the course of 7 years ...everytime they put in a new hip I would eventually get MRSA/staph and they would remove it. Finally when hip replacement 4 became infected I was referred to Mayo Clinic .
Their recommendation was to take everything out and leave it out for at least a year. If I could go at least one year without infection they would try one last hip relplacement .
It was a long recovery process plus learning how to walk with a hanging hip but i actually stunned doctors a year later when i was walking without any assistive devices (i probably shouldve been using my cane at least lol) of course I had a major limp since my left leg was so much shorter but i made it work not only for one year but for 4 years!
Finally last year I went back and told them it was time, my lower back had been killing me so bad from my uneven gait.
June 6th I recieved my "Hail Mary" 5th total hip lol and I am so happy to say that so far (fingers crossed) i havent had any problems with infection. Im only 34 years old so I know its a life long battle but at this point in time thing are looking up!!
Good Morning, My mom, age 80, is in the same situation as yours, however, she is significantly older. Went into septic shock on December 15. In rehab as of yesterday 1/7/20.. No other medical problems. Who were you referred to at the Mayo Clinic? Thank you
I was born with a congenital hip dislocation and had 3 surgeries between the ages of 2 and 15. At the age of 26 (1985) I had a THR. There were 3 revisions, the last in 2006 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. In 2013 I was admitted with sepsis, a massive mrsa infection which later mutated into visa. March 2014 the prosthesis was removed and I spent 2 1/2 years in a wheelchair and on IV antibiotics most of that time. Last summer my case was taken over by another surgeon who deemed it unwise to try another revision and we agreed. A new infectious disease doctor changed antibiotis and I am now mrsa/visa free. I have no hip and no spacers, the femur is significantly shorter, leg length difference is 3 1/2 inches. The new surgeon has me walking with walker and crutches and a 3 inch lift on my shoe. 3 months physical therapy to strengthen muscles atrophied from so much time in the wheelchair. I am about to move to one crutch, and the goal is a cane. Xrays show excellent build up of scar tissue supporting the leg. My original question was wondering if there are others having the same experience.
Congenitial multiple displacia hips and knee the worst, but all joints affected. 2005 left hip replaced while yet in hospital left knee blows out, swells to grapefruit size can't walk on new hip. Went into hospital at 5'6" came out 5'8" on one side. Cortisone shot to left knee helps and I could walk on new hip, left knee replaced 2007 followed by right knee 2009. 2010 or 2011 left hip infected hole devbelopes on outside left quads drains fluid runs about a month heals over reopens several times. Non functioning spacer going in Feb 26, 2020.
Hi @starstruck, you'll notice that I moved your message to the discussion of the same name where you were connecting with others like @tlserenity@koala78 @anonymous122054 @rayban33 about walking without a hip.
You mention you heard that working physiotherapist to develop muscle and scar tissue can help compensate for the lack of hip. Can you tell us a bit more about where you heard this and how it works?
I only know that building up muscle on the non hip side helps with stability a bit - I will always have to use walker or crutches or wheelchair but it could always be worse.
Help! My paraplegic friend (polio victim confined to a wheelchair after a life on crutches) was in an accident that broke her femur's head almost completely off. She just came out of an unsuccessful hip-replacement surgery yesterday. They discovered in surgery that her socket was too shallow to accept the new ball, so they simply REMOVED the old ball and truncated her femur. I've researched femoral head ostectomy today but can't find anything on humans, and certainly not on the long-term effect on non-walking human (it's all refers to animals). She lives independently, and transfers herself in and out of bed/tub/chairs on her arms, dragging her legs. If the leg is not structurally attached to her torso, I'm worried the pull on the soft tissue, blood vessels, withered muscles, etc will be damaging. Plus, when she pulls the leg towards her body, will the bone be pushed into the fragile tissues? The doctor indicated this is the long-term solution. I'm worried that she's viewed as a poor (Medicaid) old lady, so they're just doing the minimum.
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I am so impressed by your journey.
You must be a fighter like myself. I made up my mind that I would research the possibility of walking without a walker snd there you were! How though is it possible that you didn't damage whatever is left in hip area, and my right leg is about 4 inches shorter so I would need an orthotic. Where do I get it and is it covered? I have medicare.
I am so impressed by your journey.
You must be a fighter like myself. I made up my mind that I would research the possibility of walking without a walker snd there you were! How though is it possible that you didn't damage whatever is left in hip area, and my right leg is about 4 inches shorter so I would need an orthotic. Where do I get it and is it covered? I have medicare.
REPLY
Please, if anyone has bern anle to walk without a hip please tell me your ecperience. I have been told it is possible if you PT hard and develop muscle and scar tissue which compensate gor missing hip. Nancy
Hi @starstruck, you'll notice that I moved your message to the discussion of the same name where you were connecting with others like @tlserenity @koala78 @anonymous122054 @rayban33 about walking without a hip.
You mention you heard that working physiotherapist to develop muscle and scar tissue can help compensate for the lack of hip. Can you tell us a bit more about where you heard this and how it works?
A while back while in the hospital after one of my anout to be failed attempt at a new hip, the head of the hospital came to evaluate my situation before setting up my interim schedule. At that time I asked him if such a thing as walking without a hip were possible and he related that he knew of an older vietnam vet that had to have a bad hip replaced but was reluctant to get another one put in and therefore over time had managed to compensate. PT person said it wasn't the most graceful walk but this older guy got him where he was going and that was all he wantwd. Again on this site a woman related that with hard rehab, strengthening of muscle and up scar tissue had gone from wheelchair to walker and working up to a cane. So this gives me hope and I welcome hearing of any other like experiences.
Good Morning, My mom, age 80, is in the same situation as yours, however, she is significantly older. Went into septic shock on December 15. In rehab as of yesterday 1/7/20.. No other medical problems. Who were you referred to at the Mayo Clinic? Thank you
Congenitial multiple displacia hips and knee the worst, but all joints affected. 2005 left hip replaced while yet in hospital left knee blows out, swells to grapefruit size can't walk on new hip. Went into hospital at 5'6" came out 5'8" on one side. Cortisone shot to left knee helps and I could walk on new hip, left knee replaced 2007 followed by right knee 2009. 2010 or 2011 left hip infected hole devbelopes on outside left quads drains fluid runs about a month heals over reopens several times. Non functioning spacer going in Feb 26, 2020.
Wish you the best of luck with the spacer - I've had 2 separate bouts of having a spacer.
I only know that building up muscle on the non hip side helps with stability a bit - I will always have to use walker or crutches or wheelchair but it could always be worse.
Help! My paraplegic friend (polio victim confined to a wheelchair after a life on crutches) was in an accident that broke her femur's head almost completely off. She just came out of an unsuccessful hip-replacement surgery yesterday. They discovered in surgery that her socket was too shallow to accept the new ball, so they simply REMOVED the old ball and truncated her femur. I've researched femoral head ostectomy today but can't find anything on humans, and certainly not on the long-term effect on non-walking human (it's all refers to animals). She lives independently, and transfers herself in and out of bed/tub/chairs on her arms, dragging her legs. If the leg is not structurally attached to her torso, I'm worried the pull on the soft tissue, blood vessels, withered muscles, etc will be damaging. Plus, when she pulls the leg towards her body, will the bone be pushed into the fragile tissues? The doctor indicated this is the long-term solution. I'm worried that she's viewed as a poor (Medicaid) old lady, so they're just doing the minimum.