[quick67bird]

I have a genetically deformed femur that has destroyed my hip giving me severe arthritis. The orthopedic doctor that I am seeing wants to do a replacement as my hip is bone on bone. I am only 41 and the replacements seem to only last 15-20 years.

What I would like to know is how did your replacement go? How long was your recovery? How well is your mobility and are you able to do activities that you did before the replacement?

I can deal with the pain, but sometimes my hip will bind and not work properly. I am just nervous because if I decide to do it there is no going back.

[quick67bird]

I have done research online, but I am looking for other peoples experience. I have also researched the doctor and all is good there.

[J.D.]

well my mom had a hip replaced about 6 months ago . it was not nearly as bad as she thought it would be. she was able to SLOWLY go up the stairs at her condo 4 days after the surgery. she was sorry she put it off for the last 5 years or so. her recovery was pretty fast for a nearly 80 year old . now 6 months later she has no limp and MUCH BETTER mobility than before surgery. cant really say anything about how long a replacement will last.

[shawn e.]

My dad had a hip replaced. He had to have to other one replaced a few years later because he had been favoring the bad one for so long he damaged the good one.

Shawn

[PMD1969]

Only last 15-20 years? I would go find another opinion and make sure they are installing the best THR your insurance will allow.

I had a near fatal motorcycle accident in 03' and dislocated my hip. They used polates and screws to hold it together but the top of the femur died and the bone wore away. A year later I was able t get into an excellent hospital (Rush Medical in Chicago) and had a THR. They installed a triple chromed Cobalt hip and a new socket. It has been xrayed and looked at many times over the years and is still iin new condition. No side effects from the implant itself.

It did take some time to get the strength back in the leg to then walk normal again. Physical therapy was a waste of time. I quit that and started seeing a massage therapist. I was walking in no time as she was able to get the muscles loosened up and fresh blood into them.

Marc

ETA: I was 34 when I had the hip done.

[quick67bird]

Originally Posted by PMD1969

Only last 15-20 years? I would go find another opinion and make sure they are installing the best THR your insurance will allow.

I had a near fatal motorcycle accident in 03' and dislocated my hip. They used polates and screws to hold it together but the top of the femur died and the bone wore away. A year later I was able t get into an excellent hospital (Rush Medical in Chicago) and had a THR. They installed a triple chromed Cobalt hip and a new socket. It has been xrayed and looked at many times over the years and is still iin new condition. No side effects from the implant itself.

It did take some time to get the strength back in the leg to then walk normal again. Physical therapy was a waste of time. I quit that and started seeing a massage therapist. I was walking in no time as she was able to get the muscles loosened up and fresh blood into them.

Marc

ETA: I was 34 when I had the hip done.

The time line for replacement of the prosthetic is what I found on my research not what my DR said. I was apprehensive with the surgery so he said we could try anti-inflammatory medicine first. We have not discussed the surgery to much further, but he does recommend it as well as another orthopedic who is a friend.

[andyg]

The upside of doing it now if it lasts 25 years is that you will be 65 next time around. Relatively young and able to heal from another surgery. Then that next one may do 30+ years due to advancements and outlive you.

[74gto]

I am in the same boat as you. I just turned 46 two weeks ago. I have no cartalige (SP?)left in my hip, have been bone on bone since at least 1997. My brother and I used to do landscaping and lawn maintence, and I continued to do Irrigation and low voltage lighting up until 2001.

Growing up, I walked funny and wore out shoes easily. I was suppose to wear leg braces when younger, but was told I hardly wore them. In high school I was exemted from my Physical Education requirement as long as I took our school swimming course. I basicly could'nt run, or not very fast without it hurting.

I am now to the point where I cannot bend and pick things up off the ground, I must support myself against a solid object to do so. On humid days, the pain starts getting a little annoying. I have started to take anti-inflamitories on bad days, helps a little with the pain. I have noticed in the last year or two the muscles in my leg are tighting up and making it harder to move, or stiffen up after getting up from a seated position to the point where I have to stop for a minute before I can actually walk.

The last time I was at the doctor in 1997, I was told that the process is to cut the top of the leg bone off, install a stainless steel ball, and they install the socket end of the hip in plastic or ceramic. I was also told that this would last from 10-15 years, and they would have to redo it. They cut your bone a second time and replace it again. I was told they can onlu do this twice in your lifetime, so the doctor told me I would be in my late 50, or early 60's and probably in a wheelchair, and to live with it as long as I could. I am also starting to inquire into the current hip replacement and see what the expectancy is now, as I'm sure a lot has changed in 15 years.

I have a 74 GTO with a cage, and I'm sorry to say, It's not much fun driving it anymore, as getting in and out of the car really sucks without being able to pivot your hip. My tow vehicle to go to the track is a Chevy Dually with a stick, and I also have a 74 Formula with a 4 speed. My left hip is bad, so driving them is also getting pretty painful. Complicating maters is I have been self employed for the last decade, and have a 10 month old baby. Between their health insurance payments, I have none on myself. I also do not know what the law or policy is on pre-existing conditions, so I will follow your thread and see how you make out. Good Luck, JOHN

[quick67bird]

Hey John,

You left hip conditions describe my right hip to a T. I have been researching a lot on hip replacements and have found that most of them now last between 15-20 years and some 25 years.

I have a thread about this on yellowbullet and it seems like a lot of guys our age have had this surgery. I will update this thread with any other information that I find to help you too.

Robert

[Stormin]

My mom is 79 and has had both hips replaced.. most recently her second one was replaced about 10 months ago.. it was a fairly quick recovery... and she moves really well.. only downside she notices some pain when it's damp out.. or really really cold out.. otherwise.. both hips working great. Her first hip was done about 10 yrs ago..and works great.

take care!

NB

[blue goats]

I know two people with the surgery done.They both got both done at the same time. First was 45 when it was done and was told he would need it again in 20 years or so. It all depends on the miles you put on it is what the doctor told him. It took almost 3 months to get back to normal for him. He is going on about 10 years now . Hips don't bother him now just his back. The other one I know has had both hips replaced twice . Once when he was 35 and again at 62. He was told at the time he would be expected to get up and around within hours of the surgery,not like the first. The second surgery didn't go well for him though and he was in the hospital for two weeks due to the surgeon making one last tap to set the prosetic and it cracking the bone. He limps badly, has an elevated shoe, and has regular pain from the second operation.He did not have any of these issues before . If asked would he do it again ? He said he would take the chance of the original wearing out. The doctor told him it was 90% worn.
Hope this helps,
George

[PMD1969]

Originally Posted by quick67bird

The time line for replacement of the prosthetic is what I found on my research not what my DR said. I was apprehensive with the surgery so he said we could try anti-inflammatory medicine first. We have not discussed the surgery to much further, but he does recommend it as well as another orthopedic who is a friend.

FWIW My surgeon told me that I would not be able to do as much as what was once possible anymore. Ie water skiing, rock climbing, football or basically all of the stuff I had not ever been doing. Avoid anything that may have a major impact to it. Otherwise they told me that it will last a life time. I am still as active as I was which includes lawn mowing, construction, working on the cars or anything else.

Currently I broke my knee a month ago and now have a plate in the same leg. No damage occurred to the hip so I would say its pretty tough.

[lust4speed]

My surgery is coming up on December 16th, so I'm also very interested in what is reported. Just set the appointment last week, so I haven't done much research yet. The surgeon did mention that he was going to use a ceramic and polyethylene joint. I'm not even too sure at the moment whether that's a ceramic ball and ceramic socket with a layer of poly, or some other configuration?

I'll mention this thread to Les Iden (Wheelspin) and let him report the great success that his wife has had with her surgery earlier this year, and what was involved and what joint they used.

[ron cozzo]

Subscribing to this thread. I was diagnosed with Bilateral Avascular Necrosis this summer and am facing THR for both. Did a little research, have a lot more to do. Trying to go as long as I can on what's left, timeline's unknown, basically until I can't stand the pain any longer. I'm 46.

[quick67bird]

There is a lot of good information in this thread about hip replacements. http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=414038

Thanks for all the help guys.

Robert

[poncho-mike]

I also have a defective hip.

As a kid, I couldn't sit on the floor and cross my legs. It hurt too much. If I managed to make it into that position, the pain would become unbearable within about ten minutes.

After having an auto accident when I was 25, an orthopedic doctor told me that the ball on my femur was elliptical shaped, and that I would probably begin to have arthritis within 5 - 10 years.

I'm 54 now, and the pain started getting progressively worse about ten years ago. I almost had hip replacement in 2002. It's a good thing I didn't, as the surgical techniques have improved quite a bit since then.

I'm an engineer, so quite a bit of my day is spent sitting at my desk. I keep on hanging in there, but I think the time is getting close when the operation will become a necessity.

The doctor diagnosed Legg-Perthes disease. People who have Legg-Perthes typically also have short necks and neck pain.

Mike

[Shiny]

My wife had a hip replacement after osteo arthritis progressed rapidly. She is doing great. Recovery was not too painful, but slow, as her joint required no load-bearing for 6 weeks. She said forget that after about 4 and was on it with no problem. She is young for this, so was strong to begin with.

It was life changing for her and she has no limitations. She chose to stop skiing, but just to be smart. She has some discomfort in her back, but NO pain around the joint and NO limitations. I would focus on getting rid of the pain and getting your mobility back.

I will recommend you investigate tradeoffs between metal on metal vs metal on plastic and don't sway too heavily on how long the joint will last. My wife unfortunately has a Depew joint that was recalled for a high occurrence of wear. Hers is OK, but she does have some elevated levels of Cobalt and Chromium in her bloodstream. Everyone reacts to that differently, but nobody reacts if it's not there. Her Dr thought metal on metal would last longer, and I'm sure he is right, but this one design was not good. Just ask about it and make sure your design has a good solid track record. Newer is not always better.

My wife was told hers could be replaced fairly easily. "Easy" is all relative, but there are different designs with different approaches to replacement.

[IOWA552SLOW]

this is an interesting thread to follow for me as well. my wife had a fairly nasty car accident about 3 years ago, dislocated her hip and tore 2 blood vesels that feed it. we have been told by 3 dr. now that her hip is dying, and that she will need a replacement in 10-15 years. seems like a long time off right now, but she already has issues of the hip catching and locking. she already has pain during long days at work, no ladders allowed, or during weather changes. my 67 is a cluch, and she can no longer drive that car as it is to painful to shift. my 04 with the hydralic clutch she can still do, although with pain sometimes. at age 30, she has been told, 2-3 hip replacements may be required. the quick healing periods and back to normal life is very encourging. hoping by the time we face her first replacement that the material has gotten better and they will last much longer. keep the info coming.

[quick67bird]

I thought I would update this thread. I had my hip replaced yesterday and will be up walking here pretty quick. The surgeon told me the head of my femur had pretty much collapsed.

[mike nixon]

Good luck with your recovery. FWIW I have a cousin who had one done a little over 20 yrs ago. He's well into his 70's and the only issue he has had with his is it squeaks when he pushes it hard. TO put it in prespective, he still feeds livestock every day forking hay, cleans fencerows, runs equipt, ect. He goes from sunup to sundown and rarely slows down.

MIke