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What kind of mobility can I expect with an antibiotic spacer in my hip
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Aug 26 2:26pm | Replies (282)Comment receiving replies
I’m a 37 year old male that has had 3 hip scopes, 3 HO removals, 2 debrievments, stem cell Theropy, soasas tendon release, THR, and am now in the middle of a 2stage hip revision due to infection. Nov 17 2022 I had the implant removed and a spacer put in. Since then I can not lift my leg up, nor if I am standing I can not move the leg forward without swinging my hips. I’m set to have a new hip put in on March 1st. Obviously with my surgical history alone plus MSSA that I have a lot of scare tissue around my hip. Any idea why I can’t life my leg since the spacer was put in. Is that normal? And if this hip dosnt take or fails in the future, my surgeon said that the next step is to take the leg from the hip, Or a Girdlestone. I know I’m out of options but is there any other ideas out there. Thank you in advance
Replies to "I’m a 37 year old male that has had 3 hip scopes, 3 HO removals, 2..."
If there are other options, I'd like to know them too. From reading this forum, it seems like everyone's experiences with spacers are different. One forum member even says he has returned to work with a spacer. I could have if work from home was still an option for me.
For the most part I can "walk" for about 10 steps or so with a walker, or at least until it's just too painful. The pain is manageable now without meds, but every time I move my affected leg it's a different type of discomfort.
I finally have an appointment with a orthopedist specializing in reconstruction, since my femur is fractured and damaged from the last prosthesis removal. If I'm eligible for a new implant, glorious! If not, it looks like I'll be hipless. It seems like this experience also varies by the individual. Stay tuned.
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Hi @gillette30, you're asking all the right questions and there are several members who have similar stories to yours, which is why I moved your post to this existing discussion:
– What kind of mobility can I expect with an antibiotic spacer in my hip https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-kind-of-mobility-can-i-expect-with-an-antibiotic-spacer-in-my-hip/
You can read through previous posts (there's a lot) and connect with members like @mrfish @crgentry @bbreckenridge @coonhound @lahipster @sharronp79 @tanya7 @cathy19 @amallasch and more.
The hip spacer did limit mobility for some members. It must be hard hearing that you're close to being out of options. I really hope the upcoming surgery is successful for you.