Newly replaced hip dislocated after 4 weeks.

Thanks Shark. I know the pain your friend went through. It is excruciating.

My guess is that somewhere in bending to get under his desk, his hips were bent forward more than 90 degrees. I hope it was resolved w/o surgery.

THRs are the easiest replacement surgeries to recover from, and at least for me, lulled me into thinking I was fine at one month. All joints are in "capsules" - tissue, tendons, ligaments - that encompass, protect, and support the joint. A replacement removes many of these structures, and the body has to adapt to a foreign body (metal, plastic). It takes time, no matter how good one may be feeling.

Thanks again Shark.

Joe

Bending over is scary for me too. I love my "grabber". Im keeping it forever ...
I start PT tomorrow and will go with many questions. Any suggestions?

Have you been checked for hypermobility? Look up HEDS, Ehlers Danlos
I was told by a hip surgeon that hip replacement may not be recommended for people with very flexible hips such as those with HEDS.

Glad to read all the testimonies about THR and the outcomes.
Dislocations after several months wow! Hard to believe
Post 6 months THR after drs. stated my knee pain (TKR revision) is probably due to hip arthritis. All drs. suggested THR
Well the right hip I had done is somewhat prominent compared to my left THR.
Very painful from the hip passed the knee.
The Dr. who performed the THR
said he could do a redo in about 2 years. If he did it now the hip redo might get infected
It now appears I have to be in pain for maybe 2 more years
Amazing how drs. Just let things go and forget about the patient
Well that’s my story

Hi France,

Sorry for the late response. How did the session go with the therapist?

I don't have much else to add. The two essentials 1) never cross your operated leg over your other leg, and 2) never bend more than 90 degrees at the hips.

I think you can worry less about these as time passes and the joint heals.

All the best to you France.

Joe

I'm sorry for whatever happened ref.

How did your Dr explain that the operated hip is more prominent, and how does he explain the pain?

The reason I'd get answers, and a second opinion, is that if he did something wrong, he should fix it on his nickel, not you or your insurance. I'd also get a second opinion on 1) your current condition and 2) if revision now does raise the chances of infection. Actually, I'd just get a second opinion and these questions can be answered.

Please stay after this ref. You deserve some answers, and probably a new surgeon, sad to say.

Stay strong friend!

Joe

Thanks Resilience. And to some extent, yes, I do have hyper-mobility, probably explaining why I can put my palms flat on the floor with my knees locked. I can also just bend my thumb back far enough to touch my forearm.

And since my early 30s to late 40s, I ran about 25 marathons. I stretched everyday and that may account for the flexibility I still have at 70. Not that it did me much good lately......

Thanks for bringing that up. Hyper-mobility is a real condition, and can cause problems.

Joe

We have greater strength when younger, so my belief is as our muscles weaken there’s more laxity in the ligaments.
I have observed since I stopped horseback riding and have become much weaker that it’s much much easier to overstretch. Maybe you can find a PT Specialist in HEDS. To help you through the healing.

Thank you!

Did your surgeon tell you to go ahead and start spinning in the gym after two weeks? My surgeon used the Superpath method and when we met up in the preop room he had a ten page document with the hospital instructions for post THP -- no bending, crossing legs, etc. He tossed it in the waste paper basket and said he had only two rules: (1) be a couch potato for the first five weeks and (2) take my medicine (pain medicine). As it turned out I didn't need to take the pain medicine but I did reluctantly follow his instruction regarding being a couch potato.

He said the reason for the couch potato instruction is there is only one thing he can't do as a surgeon -- he can't make bones grow. So the purpose of the five week couch potato requirement was to let the bones grow around the implant.

I am wondering if the spinning and bending so early is the result of the bones not sufficiently growing around your implant. Which method did your surgeon use?

I have two requirements for a THR surgeon: (1) use a minimally invasive methodology; and (2) be very successfully experienced in that methodology (i.e., have done at least hundreds of the method proposed for me). Of the two requirements, for me the most important is the experience requirement. I was chatting with my surgeon recently (I am weeks away from a TKR with him) and he also believes that the experience requirement is the most important even though he is an engineer and primary creator of the newest THR methodology. Of course, he has done thousands of them.

What methodology did your surgeon use? Posterior? Anterior? STAR? Superpath? etc. Has he done hundreds or thousands of them or were you one of his guinea pigs?

You need to go back to your surgeon ASAP and see what he thinks. Even if you have lost confidence in him you still should go back although I would start researching available revision surgeons.

Good luck and keep fighting.