broken hip recovery advice needed...............
Comments
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Great to see a lot of positive stories on this thread.
I came off at 40kph on a sharp left hander, possibly a bit icy - I couldn't tell for sure. Fractured my left side greater trochanter, which is where some of the muscles attach. Luckily, the consultant said given my age (27) and the nature of the fracture, there was no need to open me up and put pins in.
Anyway, that was 2 weeks ago and I'm on crutches, not allowed to put any weight on it. Working from home, so I at least have some distraction. Looking forward to my first appointment at the fracture clinic, 3 weeks from now, where I'm expecting them to x-ray me again and *hopefully* there will have been some improvement.
Desperate to get to a point where I can get on the turbo as I don't want the muscle to just sit there wasting. Also a bit worried about the physio exercises I've been given. They're designed for post hip surgery recovery, but I still have a fracture and feel quite a bit of pain when I do some of the exercises (e.g. abduction). Think I'll listen to my body on that one!
Wish you all a full and speedy recovery!0 -
This is a 2 1/2 year update for me. This site was so helpful when I was down. I particularly loved the abundant British wit in the face of a grim situation. I had a nondisplaced femoral neck fracture in a fall while mountain biking...not a very technical area but fairly fast..and I hit some loose rocks on a curve and slammed down into rocky hardpack as though I had hit a patch of ice. Nothing else got hurt...no chance to stick a hand out or attempt to unclip. I was already pushing the limits of how long I can continue to enjoy this great sport as I had turned 60 a few months earlier and I don't know ANY other women riding hard in their 60s in this area. So I spent a lot of time thinking about whether I would..or could..or should...get back into it while I rehabbed. My wonderful surgeon put in just 3 screws for fixation although two other surgeons told me I would need a plate or rod and screws. He told me he trusted me not to put any weight on it for 6 weeks and that he was taking a chance, but wanted me to be able to return to a very active lifestyle. I was road riding around 3 months and did a road ride 5 day vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii with 250 hilly miles around month 5. That gave me the confidence to cautiously climb back on the mountain bike and a few weeks later my road bike started gathering dust (again). I turn 63 this month and I'd say I am 90% of what I used to be..and I think the difference may just be my older age. I don't go as fast in certain situations, walk a few more of the technical downhill sections and wear body armour almost every ride which is darn hot sometimes...and that does bother me on tough uphills. In the rest of my life, Zumba, which involves a lot of one legged jumping, let me know the injured side wasn't as strong as the other side, but the difference has now disappeared after a year of classes. If I stand on the "bad" leg and do 30 lateral lifts of the "good" leg without touching down, the weight bearing leg fatigues a bit faster than when I stand on the other side. So I couldn't be happier with the long term outcome of the fracture surgery. Best of luck to everyone in their various stages of recovery !0
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Hi guys, welcome to 'the club'.
This is just over the year update for me (February 4th 2011).
No signs of AVN as yet, although cant do an MRI for obvious reasons to truly tell. Very little/no pain in the hip now when i walk. No limp either. Still get aggravation from the metalwork when sitting. The recover seems to be going well so far. The advice on this forum thread was invaluable to sort out the mess in my head, never mind my hip.
In the past year i have managed a 10 hour race ( 4 months after the break which on hindsight was stupidity), completed the Kielder 100 and completed the Strathpuffer 24 as a soloist (came middle of the field).
This summer i will be testing the hip/DHS on the Etape du Tour (Alps).
So everyone who comes here hours, days, weeks after a break, read all these stories of remarkable recoveries, and gain inspiration that its not all over. And above all, keep a positive mental attitude.
Cheers
Simon0 -
Interesting study on bicyclists and BMD. Certainly made my ears perk up since I have broken way too many bones with light crashes. Can't remember where I found this link but I may have found it in this thread so my apologies if you have all seen it. http://www.joefrielsblog.com/2011/03/bones-and-cyclists.html0
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phy2sll2 wrote:Great to see a lot of positive stories on this thread.
I came off at 40kph on a sharp left hander, possibly a bit icy - I couldn't tell for sure. Fractured my left side greater trochanter, which is where some of the muscles attach. Luckily, the consultant said given my age (27) and the nature of the fracture, there was no need to open me up and put pins in.
Anyway, that was 2 weeks ago and I'm on crutches, not allowed to put any weight on it. Working from home, so I at least have some distraction. Looking forward to my first appointment at the fracture clinic, 3 weeks from now, where I'm expecting them to x-ray me again and *hopefully* there will have been some improvement.
Well, I had my follow up with the fracture clinic and it was disappointing to say the least. The consultant clearly hadn't read my notes. He started showing me the same x-rays / CT scan that I'd seen while in hospital and explaining the nature of the injury which several other docs had explained already. I think two-thirds of the appointment went by before he realised that it was 5 weeks ago that I had the crash.
He hummed and harred about giving me another x-ray or referring me for physio and in the end did neither.
Think I might give my health insurance provider a call and see if I can get an appointment elsewhere.0 -
Just an update on a post 7 months ago shortly after fracturing my hip falling from a road bike in Italy.
The fracture was initially misdiagnosed. 10 days later when I got back to the UK I had it checked over in hospital and it turned out I had a displaced neck of femur fracture and as a result had it fixed with 3 cannulated screws as an emergency, albeit 10 days late. Given the delay between the accident and surgery, the doctors weren't overly optimistic about the outcome with the risk of AVN being significantly increased.
Following the operation I was non weight bearing for 9 weeks. I was back at work a couple of days after the operation. Luckily I have a desk job and the only problem I had was getting to the office so ended up using taxis for a while. There's an Access to Work scheme in the UK that may be able to assist towards the cost of transport for anyone in a similar situation. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeo ... DG_4000347
I had my first xray at 9 weeks which went well and I was told to lose the crutches and revert to being fully weightbearing. I wasn't prescribed any physiotherapy but told I could ride a stationary bike which I've been doing since then. I found out about someone in my local cycling club that broke his hip about 5 months before me and he has been swimming a lot . I noticed after a few months that the hip flexors in the bad leg were still pretty weak which I guess swimming would help with. I can't get to a pool easily though so I got some resistance bands instead which seem to have helped a bit. As the hip flexors have got stronger, some of the discomfort I had whilst pedalling in a crouched position has pretty much gone.
I was surprised by how easily I managed to break the hip. It was a fairly inocuous fall, the bike just slid from under me on a bend, as it has countless times before but I guess my hip bone must have hit the ground first. After a comment on this forum and the links to some of the articles about bone mineral density and cyclists I convinced my GP to send me for a bone mineral density scan. The results came back normal which I guess means that if you hit the bone the wrong way, it doesn't need a huge or high speed impact to break it.
I had a second check up at 6 months and the xrays are still fine. I asked about riding on the road and the doctor told me that I could but to take precautions. "Like padding" I asked. "Like not falling off or getting knocked off" was his response. Good advice! He said it would take 2 years for the bone strength to return to normal so I should excercise greater caution in the meantime.
And that's where I am. So far so good but not riding on the road yet. The hospital will monitor me for another 18 months but so far I feel Iike I've had a pretty lucky escape so I'm not keen to do anything that might jeapordise that. In the meantime the Sufferfest keeps me entertained indoors.
Best wishes to everyone with their recoveries.0 -
Hope your confidence hasn't taken a knock too. Glad to hear that you are already planning a return to the road. Did the doctors give you any advice about taking calcium supplements or anything to help promote bone growth and increase bone density?
What do I ride? Now that's an Enigma!0 -
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#64
I guess confidence has taken a knock but maybe that's not a bad thing. I'd been procrastinating before the accident about joining a local cycling club. One of the first things I did afterwards was to join even though I couldn't ride but with the firm intention of getting out with them once I could.
I discussed calcium supplements with my GP when I saw him about arranging the bone density scan. His advice was that it's essential to take them with vitamin D otherwise they're a waste of time. He didn't say not to take them but he didn't actively endorse them as being essential to recovery. I think doctors will generally encourage a healthy, well balanced diet before promoting vitamin supplements unless there's a specific reason they'd be required. I did take them for a while but stopped before I had the bone density scan so they didn't skew the results. I took them over the winter, mainly for the vitamin D, but I've stopped now.0 -
This thread has been a mental crutch for me this past week. Spent it lying in Lewisham A&E with a broken neck of femur and pubic rami fracture following a slip on a wet manhole cover at about 8mph. The surgery was cannulated screw fixation. Agony, morphine, sadistic hospital porters, rudimentary crutch training, and now swift return to home with zero weight on left leg.
So thanks for the info, sick humour and advice here. Good to know I am not alone and not the youngest hip breaker in history! I read the 300+ posts on my blackberry worried I might not walk again let alone cycle. I was getting in some wet-weather training on the very minor cols of Blackheath to tackle Liege-Bastogne-Liege next weekend and London-Aberdeen in June.
My unanswered questions at this early stage:
At 41, 80kgs and 6'4"' are there any specific tall-person/middle-age issues I should be aware of in exercising or physio or diet?
I have been advised to stay in bed if at all possible, not to crutch around and use only the hospital flying hip team for physio etc.. Other stories in this thread point to alternative recuperation strategies in this initial 6/8 week period - Hydro, turbo, walking, even holidaying ... Should I be getting out more?Its been a good day, I didnt need to use ma AK0 -
Sorry to hear about your fall! You will get through this and soon it will be a distant memory (though your stomach will flip every time you see a manhole cover!). Having been through this twice before my best advice is DO NOT let weight bear on your foot and sleep with a pillow between legs. You shouldn't have to stay in bed if you have been 'screwed'. DO get around with your crutches but be careful where you step. Slipping could cause you to touch your foot to floor and that could be problematic down the road. I was home in five days and managing to cook my own meals etc. on my own. I was even out the door taking a bus within 2 weeks. So it is good to move your leg. Eat Kale! I'm at 12 and a half weeks since my last break and walking around the house without a cane and only a slight limp. Have a swift and complete recovery!0
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Hi Jacl
My own personal story was get out and about as quickly as possible, and as soon as i could, i went to a private physio for a rehab routine.
She phoned the consultant, who gave her specifics as to what i needed to do.
I was touch toe weight bearing for the first 6 weeks, but becasue it was quicker to get around non weight bearing, thats what i did. As lagunacat says, youve been internally fixated, so i dont know why you need to stay in bed, unless its for your pubic bone issue.
I had a dynamic hip screw with a parallel cannulated screw fitted. No specific diet issues, but took vitamins etc and a good balanced diet. Took calcium supplements and vitamin D coupled with glucosamine.
I dont have any specific bone problems though, which others have bought up as a topic, but im only 5'5" and just under 10 stone.
I did 'fall' down the stairs a couple of weeks ago, and jerked my bad leg when i landed on my butt, and my leg has been giving me gyp since...... typical. Just get on an even keel and my studidity gets the better of me.
I have also asked the surgeon on the possibility on removing this metalwork within the next 3 - 6 months. but havent had any reply.
Chin up and its never as bad as you think, testament to others on this thread
Simon0 -
My unanswered questions at this early stage:
At 41, 80kgs and 6'4"' are there any specific tall-person/middle-age issues I should be aware of in exercising or physio or diet?
I have been advised to stay in bed if at all possible, not to crutch around and use only the hospital flying hip team for physio etc.. Other stories in this thread point to alternative recuperation strategies in this initial 6/8 week period - Hydro, turbo, walking, even holidaying ... Should I be getting out more?
My situation is similar, albeit without the broken pelvis complication. Last August when I broke my hip I was 38, just under 80kg and 6'2", and similarly I broke my left neck of femur that was also fixed with 3 cannulated screws. Once it was fixed, the hospital advice was to mobilise a day or so after surgery but to bear no weight at all on the broken leg. I'm aware that other people can partially weight bear imediately after surgery but I guess it depends on the position and type of fracture and how it was fixed. I had no physio input, other than the initial excercises to get the hip moving again whilst layed down. I did those for a couple of weeks before they became pointless and didn't do any other specific exercises until after my 9 week check up when I was given the all clear to fully weight bear. Once I was able to get out of bed then I became as active I could albeit safely and non weight bearing.
Perhaps your pelvic fracture isn't stable yet which might be why you are being advised to keep your movements to a minimum?
Diet wise, I did take Calcium supplements with Vitamin D and K over the winter, and cut down on alcohol which seems to be recognised as having an influence on the onset of avascular necrosis. Being inevitably less active I was more mindful about the amount I was eating than I would normally be, but still managed to put on a few kilos. Other than that I didn't make any special adjustments.
All the best with the recovery...0 -
Hey All,
I have a rather unique situation. I had a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing in 2008 and then this past April 21st I suffered an intertrochantric fracture on the same hip as my resurfacing. The ortho inserted three screws with a long plate down my femur. Has anyone had anything remotely similar. I'm non weight bearing for 6-12 weeks and am now approaching week5
post op.
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Hi srob77,
Ive never seen anything similar to what youve had. I think the only place which might have anyone who has had similar problems would be the surfacehippy forum.
Speedy recovery!!
Cheers
Simon0 -
Found a link to this very interesting thread on Barry Gee's blog while researching rehab for a broken hip.
Had a slow speed fall (May 15th 2012) off my flat bar on a small gutter lip, followed by an ambulance trip and surgery after about 12 hours to fit a Dynamic Hip Screw & an anti rotational screw. Home in less than 3 days and on crutches with only touch weight bear until I see the surgeon in mid July. Have basically been pain free since coming home and currently doing a number of exercises, including some with a resistance band which have been recommended through a couple of visits to a physio. Due to see the physio again next week. Exercises take about 1.5 hrs per day, usually
3 sets x 0.5 hr. Leg is looking thin and have overall lost about 4kg, 66 to 62kg, although eating OK. I am 5'9" & 60 yrs old and was doing about 200kms per week on 3 different bikes. So hoping this level of fitness will assist with the recovery. A little worried about the dreaded AVN which prior to the surgery was thought to be about 30% but a recent visit to the fracture clinic suggested closer to 50% chance. As per a number of posts here, 18 - 24 months was the time frame quoted.
The comments/questions/advice/experiences noted in this thread will be invaluable at the first visit to the surgeon. So at this early stage I plan to continue slow & steady but do look forward to getting back on the bike in the future, although not my first priority.
Good luck to all those currently recovering from this bummer of an injury.0 -
thank god i have found this thread!!
i fell of my bike three weeks ago and broke my right sided neck of femur. repaired with three cannulated screws, iam 42 and have found there is little or no advice for middle aged people with this injury on the internet. i have started the road to recovery and am trying to be as positive as possible, i have been touch weight bearing since leaving hospital and am now 50% weight bearing after 3 weeks, i have a stationary bike which i use three times a day 15 mins a time. i have found i can drive with no problem so can get about no problem. i just need to start walking unaided asap as i am self employed and need to get back to work. . i am back at the hospital next week to see the doctor againd and to have xrays to see how things are getting on. i plan to be walikng again in 6 weeks, does anybody know of any supports that will help me walk? i feel i could ask a thousand questions but that will do for a start. any replys and info anybody can give me would be great .
kind regards mark0 -
I think it normally takes 12 weeks to be 100% weight bearing. It is the time required for bones to heal. All you need is patience, I am afraid.
Google search 'femur rehab exercises' to see what you can do for rehab. Watch out for gluteal / adductor muscle wastage.
Good luck.0 -
Hi Mark.... Was your break intracapsular or extracapsular? My break was intracapsular, and was on partial weight bearing for weeks and not allowed to drive for around 12 weeks as wouldnt be able to perform an emergency stop without compromising the fracture and fixation. I dont think there is anything available to assist walking other than crutches.
As bookworm says, time and patience is required.
I myself had my release from the surgeon yesterday. All well, no sign of AVN, Dynamic Hip Screw will stay in.
Now time to get back to normal as possible, and i can get on with the insurance claim against the driver.0 -
Fractured femur as a 19 yr. old , pinned then removed after `18 months (rejection) recovered well but lost some knee flex. BUT the mental part of it has never left me & the thought of it still sends a shiver down my spine.I still have the kunshner nail (pin) to remind me if I try to forget, but in this event 50 yrs. on memory still fresh as a daisy, now what did I come upstairs for?0
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I suffered a Slipped Upper Fermoral Epiphysis in 1988, 24 years later i'm now waiting on a total hip replacement. On a good day i suffer controllable pain with 8 30/500 Co-Codomol tablets and Diclofenic, on a bad day i can do sh*te. Hopefully though all will be sorted by May and i'll be back on my bike. My last outing was on 5th June last year, haven't been able to turn a pedal since then.
:?0 -
hi simonfr my break was intracapsular, starting to get cabin fever being stuck in the house most of the time, when you got back on the bike how was your convidence about getting back on the bike? also ive seen these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=73272
wonder if they might help if i fall again at any time.0 -
Hi Mark.
I myself got physio as quickly as possible for the exercises to start strengthening the muscles, then moved onto my road bike with a turbo trainer when the doctor and physio cleared me for this action.
I am also self employed, but luckily i could work from home, and after 2 weeks, i could also take the train to the client offices, but i certainly wasnt fully walking in the first 6 weeks. If you have 3 cannulated screws, then i assume that your fracture, although intracapsular, was undisplaced? But you risk aggravating the fracture site and possibly making it more prone to AVN. As Bookworm said, it generally takes 12 weeks for bone to fuse, but you will also have the added complication of the fracture, being intracapsular, where apparently the synovial fluid in the capsule can interfere with the bones 'reaching out to each other' to fuse together, resulting in non union. There are a whole host of possible complications if you rush things :-/ The surgeon and or physio will advise.
How did i feel getting back on the bike? I felt ok, but really apprehensive about hurting or falling on the hip. However i actually went out on a bike after the 12 week period, and entered a race at about 14-16 weeks, only so i could pootle round and round at my own pace with no cars and to 'test' myself.
Is your bone quality ok as some other posters here on this thread has suggested? It notmally takes quite a bit of force to break your femur at our age (early forties), normally a great fall from height or road traffic accident...
So im not sure if those shorts would help much in this instance? Never used or know anyone who have used them. Although in a Tesco way, every little helps?? hhahahahhahaha0 -
Thanks for the reply. How maney weeks where you at when you where allowed to use the turbo trainer0
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Hi Mark
I had an intracapsula fracture repaired with cannulated screws and was 9 weeks non weight bearing. After that I was given the all clear to do pretty much anything other than impact sports so that's when I started back on the turbo.
One of the above posts mentioned about bone mineral density. I had mine tested but it was normal for a 38 year old. The fall that caused the fracture was just a wheel slip going round a bend - something I've done many times with nothing to show other than bruised hips / road rash - so no major trauma involved.
I waited quite a while before venturing back on the road. Doctors told me it would takes between 1 and 2 years for the bones to get back to full strength so their advice was to take precautions in the meantime. I asked if they meant the kind of body armour / padding you referred to but they meant just staying upright.0 -
Hi Mark, It was about 7 weeks until i was allowed to turbo or anything like that if i remember. I was supposed to be partial weight bearing but it was quicker to be non weight bearing to get around! I personally (rightly or wrongly) partially weight beared only when i had time to do it! During the first 7 weeks was getting used to the new reality, taking the pain killers, going to physio weekly and doing the exercises religiously.
I didnt get a bone density test myself.0 -
back at the hospital tomorrow for xrays and to see the doc, hope all will be ok now 5 weeks since i broke the hip. i am certainly finding i can not rush this injury.0
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Good luck tomorrow Mark. Hope it all goes well.0
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well back from docs and things arnt looking to bad. wants to see me again in 6 weeks. he was a bit surprized to see me walking with only one crutch, but he said as long as iam carefull i should be ok, xrays were good to see bloody long bolts,0
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Sounds good. As long as the fracture is stabilised and knitting together then thats a good sign.
Slightly less restricted duties for the next 6 weeks then!! 0 -
this what i have done to my hip this is exactly the same as my xray0
