broken hip recovery advice needed...............
Comments
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Gutted for you Leon. I know how you feel as I was very disappointed after my consultation too. Keep your chin up though. Six weeks will pass by before you know it.0
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First, thanks to everyone who replies to this post. It was the only useful information I could find when I broke my hip. I
I'm 9 months out on my injury - lost traction taking a turn too sharp on my bike and hit the pavement, hip broken, got the pin, plate and screws. I'm 98% back at this point. I just got back from a 7-day backpack trip in SE Arizona over very rough terrain - bad or no trails, lots of up and down and canyon walking. I had no issues whatsoever with my hip. I'm scheduled to have my prosthetic removed in a couple weeks. It's earlier than recommended, but it's been determined that I'm allergic to nickel which is in stainless steel. I've had intermittent rashes since surgery, which I've learned to control by avoiding foods high in nickel. Unfortunately many foods that are good for you are also high in nickel (beans and oats are particularly bothersome to me). Now, here's my question. I'm having second thoughts about having the prosthetic removed. I've read posts where people have had problems and long recoveries and others where people were back after a week (albeit not at full strength). I'm not too thrilled about having surgery again, but I'm also not thrilled with leaving a piece of metal that I'm allergic to inside my body. What's the collective experience with either leaving it in or removing it? Any ideas on long-term effects of either?
Thanks,
Pat0 -
Broke my hip 24 years ago had 3 pins inserted, then 18 months later had the pins removed. On both occasions the op went well, the scar from having them removed was 1/3rd of the size of the original.
I don't think they let them stay there for too long now to be honest, but check with your surgeon, he'll know better than anyone.0 -
The surgeon said they will leave my Hip Screw in, although it still causes discomfort, that in itself is not enough justification to remove it. The other issues would be the risk of refracture when removing the metalwork (the hip screw being one large pin), another X weeks or months on crutches/restricted 'duties' until the holes in the bones heal and tt also increases the risk of infection again as they have to open you up.
If i need a Hip Replacement/Resurfacing in the future, i will be classed as a complex case, but not one which they havent negotiated before. Id like my metalwork taken out, but the risks, for me, outweigh the 'benefits'.
But a Nickel allergy, i cant imagine thats much fun. At least i can take pain killers to ease my discomfort....0 -
Chaps,
Out of all these replies there doesn't seem to be any mention if anybody has had issues with AVN (damaged blood flow & bone dying).
My NOF fracture was as bad as it can get (surgeons words) and he's happy with how it's healing.
However he did say AVN is a concern for up to 2 years.
So what I'm asking is did anybody's NOF lead to AVN??
Thankschris0 -
Hi guys... Any of you that have fractured your acetabulum? And have titanium strips + screws on the outside of the pelvis as a result?
I'm struggling with saddle pain, have had a retul bike fit which included gebiomized saddle analysis.. We managed to ease the pressure on the side that I have the issue with set up and a different saddle, but I still get early sore on longer 40++ mile rides.
Anyone got a custom saddle made ? Results?0 -
Been a while since I last posted, on a bit of a downer with the nice weather, but after 5 months, 16 x-rays and multiple physio appointments my consultant finally gave me the all clear on Friday to lose the crutches and go full weight bearing. I am now OK to drive and being encouraged to swim and cycle (staying upright obviously) but he still insists on no-running on a Dynamic Hip Screw so might seek second opinion on that at a later date. Despite being a displaced intracapsular NOF fracture that wasn't operated on for 8 days he reckons risk of AVN is currently low although will be having x-rays every 12 weeks for 2 years just to monitor.
Meeting the NHS physio tonight to put a proper gym based programme together to get me back to full working order as walking is a bit clunky due to some cartlidge displacement etc. Hopefully going to take the MTB for a short bimble up the local disused railway line tomorrow and progress back onto the roadbike by weekend, probably stay on flat pedals for a week or two. Will put progress on Strava if anyone wants to follow PM me and I'll give details. Good luck to everyone else going through recovery from this nightmare injury, the forum has been a great help to me.0 -
LeonF wrote:Been a while since I last posted, on a bit of a downer with the nice weather, but after 5 months, 16 x-rays and multiple physio appointments my consultant finally gave me the all clear on Friday to lose the crutches and go full weight bearing. I am now OK to drive and being encouraged to swim and cycle (staying upright obviously) but he still insists on no-running on a Dynamic Hip Screw so might seek second opinion on that at a later date. Despite being a displaced intracapsular NOF fracture that wasn't operated on for 8 days he reckons risk of AVN is currently low although will be having x-rays every 12 weeks for 2 years just to monitor.
Meeting the NHS physio tonight to put a proper gym based programme together to get me back to full working order as walking is a bit clunky due to some cartlidge displacement etc. Hopefully going to take the MTB for a short bimble up the local disused railway line tomorrow and progress back onto the roadbike by weekend, probably stay on flat pedals for a week or two. Will put progress on Strava if anyone wants to follow PM me and I'll give details. Good luck to everyone else going through recovery from this nightmare injury, the forum has been a great help to me.
Great News about getting off the crutches mate. Can't believe how many X Rays you've had. In the 15 weeks since my accident, I have had X Rays on the day and 1 other since then when I saw the consultant at the 12 week point.
Good to hear that you are on the mend though. Bet you can't wait to get out on the bike again.
I have done a few turbo sessions over the last month which has helped loads.
You have a PM re Strava too.
Mick0 -
Been for x-ray & consultation today and......
LOOKING GOOD!
No signs of AVN at the moment and alls lined up well.
I can ride my bike steadily from next week!
11 1/2 weeks.
Get a very good physio & believe in yourself!!chris0 -
patrickfort, I had my nail removed 15 months post accident. Doctor didn't recommend it but I went ahead anyway.
Stayed overnight post-op and checked out with walking stick the next day. Wound confined to (and smaller than) the original site. High intensity exercise a few weeks later.
Sleeping on the bad leg without discomfort anymore was very sweet. No more metal alarm at airport security :-)0 -
I had my 6-month check last week. I guess the doctor had some good news as he said that he doesn't want to see me again :-) I should visit a doctor only, if some pain starts developing in the hip. That's somewhat improbable at this stage. The three titanium screws will remain in the bone unless they start bothering me.
Starting bike riding right when the doctor gives an OK for that seems like a good idea. It's a very convenient way to get the strength back to the muscles of the hurt leg. I've been riding for the last three months, mostly trails with a MTB. In theory I could now also run, but as long as I have a bike, why should I?
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TimoH wrote:I had my 6-month check last week. I guess the doctor had some good news as he said that he doesn't want to see me again :-) I should visit a doctor only, if some pain starts developing in the hip. That's somewhat improbable at this stage. The three titanium screws will remain in the bone unless they start bothering me.
Starting bike riding right when the doctor gives an OK for that seems like a good idea. It's a very convenient way to get the strength back to the muscles of the hurt leg. I've been riding for the last three months, mostly trails with a MTB. In theory I could now also run, but as long as I have a bike, why should I?
Good news that mate. I assume you will still be required to have x rays every so often so that they can monitor AVN? My consultant advised me that x rays would be necessary for up to 2 years following a neck of femur hip fracture and usually between 3-6 month intervals.
All the best,
Mick0 -
ScreaminWargasm wrote:Good news that mate. I assume you will still be required to have x rays every so often so that they can monitor AVN? My consultant advised me that x rays would be necessary for up to 2 years following a neck of femur hip fracture and usually between 3-6 month intervals.
To my surprise, that's not necessary according to my doctor. He said that the first symptom of AVN is pain that shows up before anything can be detected from x-ray images. Because the hip is nowadays completely painless, any new pain would mean that I need to see the doctor.
Here's a recap about my return to normal bike riding from the accident:
- 0-6 weeks: full rest, zero weight on the leg, eating painkillers and watching the muscles disappear...
- 6-12 weeks: very light exercise on a stationary bike, starting from 3x3 minutes per day at zero resistance to a continuous 30 minutes exercise at low-to-medium resistance
- 13-24 weeks: 1-2 hour rides on a real bike on 3-5 days per week, mostly on a mountain bike (road bike riding position was a bit too low for quite a while)
- From 25 weeks onwards: back to normal
BTW: I rode today my first "full power" exercise with road bike. The pre-accident speed is almost there :-)1 -
At just over 3 months now!
Rode my bike for an hour, every other day in Italy for last 2 weeks. Felt good!
Only thing is walking upstairs isn't getting any easier!
Maybe need pins out??
Or give it more time?.chris0 -
drummer wrote:At just over 3 months now!
Rode my bike for an hour, every other day in Italy for last 2 weeks. Felt good!
I know exactly what you mean :-)drummer wrote:Only thing is walking upstairs isn't getting any easier!
Maybe need pins out??
Or give it more time?.
Chances are good that time will solve this problem. It may take a year before all symptoms disappear.0 -
I know exactly what you mean :-)
Chances are good that time will solve this problem. It may take a year before all symptoms disappear.[/quote]
Have you had the same pal?chris0 -
Could move to a bungalow I spose...
Watching this thread as recovering from clavicle plate, ribs and pneumo thorax. Different issues kind of recovery regime I suspect. Good to hear there is life after...0 -
drummer wrote:At just over 3 months now!
Rode my bike for an hour, every other day in Italy for last 2 weeks. Felt good!
Only thing is walking upstairs isn't getting any easier!
Maybe need pins out??
Or give it more time?.
Glad you were able to get on the bike mate. It helps keep the motivation up hey.
Im at almost 5 months now. I found the opposite to you though. Have had no problems at all with stairs and have been able to get up and down them without crutches for about 4 weeks now. Im also taking a few very short walks unaided which can cause aches/pain if I over do it. I then revert back to one crutch for a bit.
I however, get pain with any sideways leg movement or twisting motions. All id say is, its still early days yet and as each week passes by, I feel stronger and able to do more.
Give it time buddy, I think things should be more or less ok after 12 months from the date of the accident.
All the best
Mick0 -
4 months on from my hip replacement and i've 80 miles up on the bikes. No pain at all from the new joint and all seems fine so far, average speed is around 14.5 atm for the 3 rides i've done so far.0
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Hi guys. New to the forum but I found this thread when I was googling hip recovery. I fell off my MTB in mid September at fairly low speed but unfortunately I somehow managed to fracture the neck of my femur. I had 3 screws inserted into the hip roughly 16 hours after the accident. So far things have been fine the legs getting stronger by the day and I'm currently 7 weeks post op still non weight bearing and will be for around another 6 weeks. I'm only 30 years old so I've been worried about my long term prospects of recovery and what activities I'll struggle with going forward.
Obviously this thread has been inactive for over a year but I wondered if anybody had a recent update with how they'd recovered? and further advice.
Thanks
Dan0 -
Hi Dan,
Sorry to hear about your accident but glad to hear you are recovering well.
Its been over 18 months since my accident. I have the same 3 screws as yourself and was 31 when it happened. I was also very concerned about long term problems in the early stages but pleased to report that so far, I am practically fully recovered. I am probably faster / stronger on my road bike than i was prior to getting hit by a van. My avg speed on my own is usually 21ish and faster still in group rides.
I do suffer with aches and pains from time to time. These are generally on the outside of my thigh, just above where the screws were inserted but hopefully that'll go in time. I can run ok as have to pass a 9.4 bleep test for work and have no issues at all, although I try not to run on it for general fitness as I think it may cause me some pain.
Considering what damage I had, I am very pleased with my recovery. Just make sure you keep the weight off it for now and start hydrotherapy ASAP. This will help recovery and prevent muscle wastage which I certainly had. Then start the physio as soon as you are able to. I had none of this from the NHS but was lucky that the insurance company of the van driver, had to cough up for private treatment. I am certain that this helped speed up my recovery time. Also, as soon as you are able to, get your bike on a turbo trainer and start pedalling again. This motivated me to get back to where I left off. Started doing 5 gentle minutes at a time and built it up from there. Keep us updated with how you are doing as it helps others that stumble across this post, just as you and I did.
Good luck and stay positive!
Mick0 -
Hi Mick. Thanks for responding. Your response was the positive response I was hoping to see and its good to hear that you've almost fully recovered and are back on the bike. I was also glad to hear that you've been able to do some running as that has been a bit of a concern for me I don't particularly like running but having an active little girl at home I'm keen to be able to keep up.
In terms of the recovery I'm quite fortunate in that my local hospital started me on physiotherapy straight away with the basic leg exercises and I do have regularly appointments (approx every 2 weeks) to go through progress. Obviously this is all none weight bearing stuff but the progress has been positive so far. I am keen to start hydrotherapy did you have this through the NHS or was this part of private treatment you mentioned?
Got my 2nd appointment with the fracture clinic on Friday so I'm hopeful for some good news.
Its seems ironic that the cause of my injury the bike is actually the item the hospital recommended to get me fit again!0 -
No problem at all fella. Glad to help. The NHS physio you mention was also part of my very basic recovery plan. The Hydrotherapy was private and i was going twice a week from about 8 weeks after the accident. They had me doing all sorts of strange exercises and can also get you walking and running in the pool with hardly any weight through your legs. As my leg got stronger, I did the same exercises in shallower water which obviously increases the weight.
This treatment is offered by the NHS and if i were you, I'd be asking for it. The Hydro helped me recover much faster than the physio and I could see the progress each week.
After six months or so, I was able to go for 2 weeks at a private health clinic/spa (through my job) that also provided me with daily physio and exercise and they physically stretched the ligaments in my hip joint to give back my full range of movement. Due to sitting around for many months, they had tighten up so much that I had a limp, because my leg didn't extend back as far as it should. Again, this should all be provided by the NHS but often isn't. They seem to patch you up initially and once you've been discharged from hospital, the treatment ends.
If you have to rely on the NHS for all your treatment, put pressure on the consultant to refer you for as much as you feel you need.
Good luck at your next appointment,
Mick0 -
Hi Dan,
Sorry to hear about your accident. Hopefully all goes well.
Agree with everything ScreamingWargasm says! I am nearly 4 years post NoF fracture fixed with Dynamic Hip Screw.
No problems other than the occasional pain around the implant. I am back to full fitness and can run no problems now too.
Keep a positive mind frame and good luck!
Simon0 -
Hi Dan... Broke my hip in 2006 aged 46....like you was concerned if i would be able to ride again...spent 6 months on crutches due to a setback (the repair moved) 8 years on i'am still cycling regularly (3000 to 4000 miles a year) certainly not pain free but you adapt...my biggest fear has always been what would happen if i had a fall on the hip..well it happened this summer, i came off taking a sharp bend on spilt diesel ...heavy fall couldn't put weight on my leg so feared the worst and went to A&E for x-rays... amazingly there was no damage to the repair just bad bruising, couldn't believe it.... i was already preparing myself for a Hip Replacement! took a couple of weeks to get back on the bike and riding again. Hope this gives some positive vibes.
Tim1 -
Hi Dan
Another ray of hope for you albeit from a slightly different injury - I came off in June (actually I was taken out by a cat but that's another story) and broke the acetabulum on my left side (part of the pelvis which forms the socket of the hip). Despite it being a complex fracture there was very little displacement so I was treated conservatively, i.e. no surgery. Like you about 12 weeks non weight bearing but back on bike after 11 weeks! I'm 51 so the process is a bit longer than for you youngsters, but I did a small mini-tour last weekend doing 60 miles Saturday and 40 on Sunday and, despite being tired, suffered no ill effects.
I echo what many have said - take the physiotherapy seriously - I am doing 2 or 3 45 minute sessions per day at home - using resistance bands, wobble boards etc and can see improvements every week. I see the physio once a week. I am now walking without any limp - though the leg/hip still feels a little "odd". I don't run as I hate running with all my heart and have incredibly flat feet. Some movements are still a bit painful - twisting etc but the improvement is fantastic.
Good luck with the recovery and don't let it get you down.
Paul0 -
I broke the neck of my femur 15 ish years ago........
It was screwed back together, today only remember it when I read this sort of thread, oh yes and set off the alarm thing when going through airport security. I hasten to add I have other bits of metal holding me together.
Couple of points, when they measured my legs after the op found the repaired one was a bit shorter than the other one. The quack suggested using a pad in my heel to even them up.............. Just couldn't get on with it, left it out and everything felt right and was OK. My own conclusion that leg had always been shorter!!!!!!
My GP gave me a blood test on a follow up and I was slightly anemic ..... Mate of mine a medic said that is stating the obvious you've broken the biggest bone in your body.
As I say no problem after going through normal recovery period.0 -
Thanks for the updates guys to good to hear more positive recovery stories its certainly making me feel better about the whole thing.
I saw my consultant yesterday for my 6 week checkup he said all was good so far and next time I see him in another 6 weeks we can discuss putting 10-15lbs of weight through my leg.
Could I ask when were people able to drive again? I forgot to ask yesterday.0 -
I was 10-12 weeks till I could drive if I remember. My injury was on my right leg.
Not allowed to drive as I would not be able to perform an emergency stop with the fracture.
I'd have been allowed to drive if left leg and drove an automatic.
Your consultant should keep you informed0
