broken hip recovery advice needed...............
Comments
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If I understand it correctly, AVN, if it happens, takes years to develop. If you ask me, I suggest you don't focus too much on this. During my healing, all kinds of worries popped up, like a rigid knee, whether I would be back on my bike again, whether I would have a limping gait permanently and all other forms of disabilities. At the end of the day, most turned out to be OK.
You will have down moments in the coming months, but remember it probably means things are at their worst and they could only go better !
Looking back and thinking positively, the whole healing process is quite an experience to me - it helped me see things in a different light, and get a different taste of life and these indeed help me become a better and stronger (if only mentally) person than before.0 -
Yeah well they kinda said if I remember rightly that on the 6 week checkup they should be able to see if AVN is developing by then.
But I'm not worried about it. Just thinking positive.
I'll post on here again to let you know what the doctor says when I see them.0 -
natureboy wrote:I broke my hip back in january and have been off crutches for a week (I can walk 1 mile ish).
I was wondering if anybody out there had also broken their hip, and if so, do they have any advice.?
My biggest question is:- how long, after beginning to walk without cruches, should I wait before I start back on the bike?
As short as possible
I shattered by shinbone in a bad fall, had a bone graft and plates and screws etc. Got an exercise bike in front room and seemed like ages before I could do one pedal revolution. surgeon said I would never walk or cycle properly again. SoI did c2c 12 months later to prove him wrong. Good Luck0 -
I came off the crutches today after the 6-week follow up and the doc says all seems to be healing really well.
He said I can go back to work now, which has been about 6-7 weeks total off work, but I'm still to avoid heavy lifting and contact sports.
I have to have another x-ray in 5 weeks time to see how it's going and then another one 3 months after that.
So all in all, it seems to be going really well, I'm able to walk normally at the moment only with a slight limp but physio said they can fix that, there were no signs of AVN and the bone has healed in perfect alignment.
So hopefully I'll be getting back on the bike by december-ish.
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congratulations! That's really fast!
And since you are off crutches so soon, muscle wastage should be smaller. I spent a great deal of efforts to train up my muscles. When I was off my crutches (13 weeks after the accident), the limping gait was very very obvious, because the muscle on the exterior side of the thigh was weak. Now that they are stronger after 6 weeks off crutches and following my physiotherapist's instructions, my limping gait is minimal but I still need to work on it...0 -
I broke my hip in a fall on the bike 3 weeks ago and was operated on with pins and a plate. I have been out of hospital for just over 2 weeks and returned to work this week. I can walk, but am happier with one crutch and have started using the turbo. So far so good, and I hope to be riding the bike by Xmas. It is such a pain and am find the lack of mobility such a nuisance.0
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gavintc - hope you have a speedy recovery and make sure you do the range of movement exercises. these seemed to help me a lot in getting mobile quicker.
Bit of an update, did a 1 mile ride today and all was well, I had a bit of an ache that lasted about 10 minutes after the ride, my physio said it's nothing to worry about and should eventually subside after carrying on with the occasional ride.
He also said that with me being young it should heal back to it's original strength and it would be like the fracture never happened.
However, I have been getting a bit of a dull ache after doing excessive walking, just wondering if anyone else experienced this (I have only been off the crutches for a week now).
Gonna try and warm the joint up now by a bonfire =]
Thanks guys0 -
Hi I broke my hip (intertrochanter, - really badly displaced= DHS/ plate and 4 screws) 2 months ago I wrecked on a drop on my downhill mtb. This forum is very helpful , thank you so much everyone for posting such helpful and encouraging advice! I was getting super frustrated, when you google this type of fracture all you get is depressing stuff! Well i just started physical therapy and got the OK to ditch the crutches this week- yay! Stationary bike feels great ...ROM is "great" ! and Doc said I could prolly ski in 2 more months ( I work as a ski patroller) I am ecstatic but scared as walking is really tough- bad limp - well it's only been a couple days though! Just scared that when I fully rehab soft tissue, how long does that bone take to FULLY heal to full strength? Don't want to rebreak it w/ hardware, I know someone who did that...not good! Can they tell by Xrays how strong the bone is? or do they need to do bone density test for that?0
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granola girl wrote:Hi I broke my hip (intertrochanter, - really badly displaced= DHS/ plate and 4 screws) 2 months ago I wrecked on a drop on my downhill mtb. This forum is very helpful , thank you so much everyone for posting such helpful and encouraging advice! I was getting super frustrated, when you google this type of fracture all you get is depressing stuff! Well i just started physical therapy and got the OK to ditch the crutches this week- yay! Stationary bike feels great ...ROM is "great" ! and Doc said I could prolly ski in 2 more months ( I work as a ski patroller) I am ecstatic but scared as walking is really tough- bad limp - well it's only been a couple days though! Just scared that when I fully rehab soft tissue, how long does that bone take to FULLY heal to full strength? Don't want to rebreak it w/ hardware, I know someone who did that...not good! Can they tell by Xrays how strong the bone is? or do they need to do bone density test for that?
Hi granola girl.
I understand what you mean when all you find is depressing stuff on google. Like others have said you will have some low points but just keep thinking positive and you'll get through it.
My surgeon told me that it takes 3 months for it to fully heal, and I'm just over 2 months myself now, but do bare in mind that it will take longer to get your muscles back to there original strength. And he also said that I can't do contact sports for at least another 2 months, which isn't a problem.
I'm still limping myself, but my physio has told me that any pain when walking shouldn't be a concern at this stage, just try and walk through it, and you'll recover in no time.
I'd also suggest looking at remedies that can help the healing process. Cod liver oil, comfrey oil, vitamin D and calcium supplements etc.
Let us know how you get on 0 -
Granola Girl: it could be depressing in the middle of it. At one point I even didn't want to read what was in this useful thread!
Bones normally heal in three months, but x ray won't show any progress in the initial weeks as bone callus can't be seen in x ray so your x ray could well be the same as it was after the operation. My doctor discharged me just by looking at the x ray. No bone density test.
I had a subtrochanteric fracture which was seriously displaced too. My limping gait is now minimal but the therapist said it should disappear in the end when I have strengthened my hip muscle fully.0 -
Did anyone have an ache while walking after getting off the crutches?
It's only there for like a couple of steps though and then it dissapears, it's been concerning me a bit.
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Hi StealTheR & others,
Very normal to have aching while & after getting off the crutches - it's taken 3+3 months for me to go 2 -> 1 -> 0 crutches. Took several weeks to "wean off" the last crutch in a faltering fashion, & only been off altogether for a week - i.e maybe, if I can keep this going. It still hurts (altho' further down the femur, not in the hip) & the limp gets worse through the day as I fatigue.
By the way, even 3 months is too short for complete bone-healing - at 6 months you will have laid down some definitive bone, but likely still have some callus & transitional bone that is still remodelling. Soft tissue recovery is also far from complete at 6 months.
I think that if you are basically sedentary you don't notice the limitations as much. As I said in my previous note, every body and every injury is different, but recovery is destined to be longer than you (or your doc's) think, especially when you are a keen amateur athlete.
All the best
NOF/'d cyclist0 -
I joined the "club" after a collision on a fast decent 3 weeks ago, fracturing my trochanter (4 pieces) initially I was told that a dynamic screw was to be used but this was changed on the day of surgery to a long gamma nail.
I would also like to add my praises of this thread, it has to date been the most relevant reading I have come across for an avid 53 year old time trialler/randonneur.
I am still keeping my sights on qualifying and completing the Paris/Brest/Paris ride in August 2011.0 -
Oh yeah ,the hip aches and is real weak and stiff for the first few steps, and as I "get in the groove" of walking it gets better, this happens every single time after I sit down! Wierd.....Haha yesterday i went to physical therapy and he put me on the machines- strength for abduction and adduction almost normal, I could do more weight and reps than the assistant who was showing me how to use them! but leg press was pitiful! Pre-injury I could press the whole stack, but yesterday I could only press 10 pounds on the left leg. Yikes! found an interesting article- I knew that elite T de F riders lost bone mass during the tour, but apparently all endurance athletes lose HUGE amounts of Calcium thru SWEAT great link whyfiles.org/055oddball/sweat.html0
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Granola girl,
That was a really interesting piece about sweat and calcium. A few friends have jokingly said to me that they thought only old folk broke their hips but the sweating I do on a 24+ hour bike ride could have been a factor as I didn't suplement my calcium intake.0 -
Hi everybody,
Another one who joins the club.
I am 48 yrs old and fractured my R hip(subtrochanteric fracture) 3 weeks ago at a slippery sharp bend in the road on a descent.I was cycling with a friend who took me home.When after 2hrs I could still not weightbear I figured something was wrong and called for an ambulance.Once in hospital an X-ray confirmed what I already dreaded.
I was operated(DHS and plate/screws) that same night and went home 2 days later.
Was told on discharge not to weightbear for 6 weeks.
Everything went well after the op and I decided to go back to work after 2 weeks. That kind of backfired as I am now back home totally exhausted.
I've got crutches and a wheelchair which I still had from my previous accident nearly 3 years ago when I fractured both my heels in a skiing accident.
I started to look for some info on these kind of fractures and what happens after and was very pleased when my wife found this thread.
Having read through it I now realise that my recovery wont be a quick job.I initially thought I could go skiing in January next year and playing some golf shortly after but it looks like this is very unlikely.
I will be seeing my consultant in 10d and will be asking him what's allowed and what's not.I am hoping I can start doing some pedalling on a turbo which I plan to buy soon.
The outside of my R thigh is still quite tender and I can just about put a sock onto my R foot now. Many thanks to all who wrote dowm their experiences which made me realise I am not alone out there.
I'll let you know what happened after I have seen my consultant.0 -
OK I've been doing physical therapy for 3 weeks now- been about 11 weeks since I broke my hip- intertrochanteric fracture with plate/screws/ 7 inch incision....about 3 weeks since off crutches.....and they had me doing it seems all the usual exercises with 5 pound ankle weights,40 reps twice a day, plus doing leg press machine , got up to 40 pounds on bad leg ,80 pounds using both legs; and walking downhill incine on treadmill for 6 minutes. Leg was shaky/weak while walking "downhill" and now it's been a week that it's been so sore and painful that i had to stop all exercises and go back to using a crutch again....GRRR!!!!! I am so frustrated! 2 steps forward 1 step back! They said it's just muscle pain and i overdid it. What kind of exercise routine has anyone else been on at this point? And how heavy weights? I want to just chuck all their damn exercises and as soon as i can get off this darn crutch again just rehab it myself by cycling (indoors on trainer- wish I could get a real ride outside!!!!!!!!!!!), and hiking up and downhill. Thoughts?0
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I'm not as far into recovery as you, not quite 6 weeks yet, against orders I was on the indoor bike after a week, I have been doing physio for 3 weeks now, nowhere as intense as yours but still enough to cause pain at my level of recovery. I do feel that the exercises my physio is giving me and yours to will have us walking again where cycling never would. I think knowing the point to stop just before you take that step back is the hard thing to judge, you have to push yourself but not to much, that is what I have found so far. It sounds like you are doing realy well none the less.0
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greencurly wrote:I am still keeping my sights on qualifying and completing the Paris/Brest/Paris ride in August 2011.
Good stuff! See you in Paris next August!
a serious case of small cogs0 -
toontra wrote:greencurly wrote:I am still keeping my sights on qualifying and completing the Paris/Brest/Paris ride in August 2011.
Good stuff! See you in Paris next August!
The prequalifying 400 and 600 will be the test, all being well see you there.0 -
I was off crutches in week 13 and didn't need it again. Meaningful bearweight exercise didn't start until week 12, though I swam and cycled in the gym everyday from month 2.
When I began to walk without crutches, I even couldn't go up one single step with my bad leg ! At that point onwards, I kind of forced myself to walk longer and longer distance (and going up or downhill). I did a lot of exercises strengthening my hip muscle (which is key to remove limping gait). I also insisted that I walk up staircase instead of taking an escalator - cycling helps but you need a lot more strength stepping up or jumping.
From week 20, I can start to jump on my bad leg. In week 22 I can start to run slowly.
I was told that my recovery was relatively fast at my age (40s), but it feels like ages. Everyone and every injury has its own pace of recovery so don't worry if you are behind anyone else's. It takes time for musle to return strength. Time will heel, really.0 -
Thanks BookwormK and greencurly.. Yes it is so hard to know when to push it and when not to.... hard to judge because you don't feel effects until later, and you're also relying on expertise of the therapist ! I guess athletes are all in mentality of pushing thru pain and "more is better", but that backfires when applied to rehab. I have been able to alternate legs when going up and down stairs since last week ( well, up until I set myself back anyways), and the limping gait was definetly improving I was up to a mile walk daily.I will just cut WAAAAYY back on the intensity of exercises for now. Spinning on a trainer loosens up leg and helps much more than total rest. And BenGay ointment of all things helps a lot too. Jumping and running now? AWESOME!!!!! Good for you!0
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Did 20min on the turbo trainer today wearing my new armoured cycling shorts It didn't hurt but I was knackered afterwards. I am now 4 weeks and a bit since I fractured my hip. Can anybody tell from their own or other experiences when to start doing some pedalling, skiing or playing some golf? Also when is one allowed to drive a car again? Has anybody experienced the movement of raising the injured leg to be limited. I still struggle to put my sock on and can't bring my knee to my nose, although it is slowly improving. Seeing my consultant for the first time tomorrow, so hopefully everything is ok.
Best wishes to all who are still recovering.0 -
It must be a bad time for hips injuries if you live in Leicestershire- Market Harborough here.Valowitz wrote:Did 20min on the turbo trainer today wearing my new armoured cycling shorts It didn't hurt but I was knackered afterwards. I am now 4 weeks and a bit since I fractured my hip. Can anybody tell from their own or other experiences when to start doing some pedalling, skiing or playing some golf? Also when is one allowed to drive a car again? Has anybody experienced the movement of raising the injured leg to be limited. I still struggle to put my sock on and can't bring my knee to my nose, although it is slowly improving. Seeing my consultant for the first time tomorrow, so hopefully everything is ok.
Best wishes to all who are still recovering.
Anyway, my physio said on the turbo after 2 weeks, I could only manage a week :shock: Be guided by your physio on the other activities. I am not going to venture outside on the bike for quite a while yet as I think the hip will be far too vulnerable until the bone has had time to remodel and harden. I would have thought a little golf would be okay when you can manage it comfortably without the use of pain killers to mask any pain.
I am 6 weeks post inter medullary nailing, being in my 50's I am not expecting a particularly rapid recovery but I can look back at the end of each week and see how I have progressed, as long as I can keep on being able to do that I will be happy.
Keep your chin up, it's a long old road ahead of us but we will reach the end and be back on our skiis and bikes.0 -
Good to see this thread is still going. I first posted on it about 2.5 years ago after breaking my femur in a collision with a car (see first page couple of pages for more detail). Still got a nice titanium rod through the middle of my femur but am a better cyclist now than before the accident. Must be the bionic leg.
Good luck all of you. I know it's a long road to recovery but with proper dedication to your physio and exercises, you will get there! I remember one of my major recovery milestones was being able to carry a pint in each hand, without using crutches and not spilling a drop. My mates were so proud of me.
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tyskie wrote:Good to see this thread is still going. I first posted on it about 2.5 years ago after breaking my femur in a collision with a car (see first page couple of pages for more detail). Still got a nice titanium rod through the middle of my femur but am a better cyclist now than before the accident. Must be the bionic leg.
tyskie aren't you worried about the carnage that would be caused if you have another major impact on the "bionic" leg? My GP, physio and sports therapist are all for my metalwork being removed, I shudder when I think what would happen should a metal rod bends in a up bone tube.
I was very pleased too when I found this thread, thanks for helping it flourish all those years ago.0 -
Thanks greencurly and tyskie for the info and your supportive comments. Am only 4 weeks after my injury and realise I still have a long,long way to go.
Just seen my consultant and to be honest i am still in shock.He told me he wants me on crutches for another 5 months where as I was hoping to start weight bearing again in about 2 weeks! The reason for the lengthy time of non weight bearing is to minimize the risk of AVN. That's my skiing holiday in January,my golf do in February and my first cycle sportive in March out of the window
On a more postive note I am allowed to drive again,so I can resume work next week.
He also has requested a bone density scan as I wanted to know whether I possibly suffer from osteopenia or even osteoporosis.
In the mean time all I can do is to continue to cycle indoors on the turbo in order to keep some level of fitness and not to let my legmuscles completely go to waist.
I hope one day I can make my mates proud by carrying 2 pints over to them.
Greencurly, as we seem to live not far away from eachother, I would be delighted to have a cycle together one day.I only live 10 minutes away from Market Harborough.0 -
I will be interested to hear what your physio thinks about 5 months on 2 crutches, you must be quite young for the consultant to be so concerned about AVN, where was the break?
Sounds like you are on the doorstep! A gentle cripple speed bike ride when you are allowed out would be great, not too many hills though just yet as my power is still somewhat lacking!0 -
Have not been given a physio for some reason.I had an intracapsular fracture which was repaired with a DHS fixated to the femur with a plate and 2 screws.What kind of fracture did you have and how was it repaired? My consultant is at LRI. Where is yours? Can you recommend a physio to me in the Market Harborough-Leicestershire area?
Looking forward to an gentle cycle with you sometime next May-June.0 -
I see your break is further up the femur than mine which was a fracture across the head of the trochanter they used one of thesehtt
www.stryker.com/en-us/products/Trauma/H ... /index.htm
So I will be lugging a bit more weight around on the bike now
I came to grief cycling in the cotswolds, I was operated on in Bristol so I was refered to Harboro which is very convenient at the cottage hospital. They have a physio department there which although small is really good, my physio is a guy called Vino and he has researched a bit about cycling orientated therapy for me as well, which was good of him.
Take it easy and make sure that you have a really good diet we need you fit and raring to go by May-June
Feel free to PM me if I can help with anything.0
