Wow! The Vancouver Coastal Health Guide blew me away. I had a right THR on Feb.19 and my surgeon said they're not recommending any PT for THR's now and to just continue the (very few!) post-surgery exercises (glute clinch, knee tightening, lateral leg slide and bent-knee slide) because walking is the best exercise for recovery. During surgery, there was pertrochanteric fracture of the femur head during insertion of the prosthesis, which was secured with a coil. In the X-ray at 3 weeks. all looked stable and normal, but at 7 weeks there was a bone displacement along the fracture line. My surgeon said it was nothing to worry about and that it wouldn't require any surgery to correct unless it started causing specific pain. He said I could do whatever activity I wished, as long as I "kept my knees apart".
The problem is that I still cannot put full weight on the right leg without pain from groin out to outer hip and am continuing to have to use a cane, but doing so is causing much pain in my left hand (arthritis), arm and shoulder. I am walking on the treadmill as long as the hand can tolerate providing some support (barely over 1/8 mile so far) and using a pedal exerciser. Walking outdoors would be fine except for the pains in the hand and arm and the excess energy it takes just to use a cane for much distance.
I am nearly 80 years old but in very good health otherwise and am really frustrated with the inability to discard the cane. I have another X-ray next week and then a telephone visit (due to COVID) with the surgeon but am not hopeful that he'll say more than "some people take longer to heal" and shrug it off. I would like to at least get one PT appointment to see if they have any suggestions. Seems a bit late to start all the exercises in the V.C.H Guide 12 wks after surgery!
I have tried to research recovery time after a femur fracture during THR but can't find anything except info about such fractures resulting from falls. Has anyone else had experience with this sort of fracture (and displacement?) I am not even sure if the hip pains are due to the fracture or why they aren't going away!