I am 48 and 6 days post left thr and doing very well. However, I wasn't prepared for the leg height difference. It seems to be about an inch difference! Kind of freaked out by this! PT says it will settle into the hip over the next three months and not be as bad but I am not convinced. I do need to get the right hip done also, but wanted to wait a couple years. Anyone farther down the recovery road that had this problem and it got better? Stayed the same?
It's a a natural feeling to feel a leg length difference. I had the same issue.
the OA in the hip wears away the carthledge and with hip replacement the poly cup replaces the carthledge. Can be a bit different in thickness than the opposite hip and height, usually a few centimeters difference. We are so used to walking with no cushion bone on bone that it does feel strange in height at first.
the doc makes a post X-ray chart it to scale for hip placement during surgery.
then it is pared up during surgery as close as possible to compare hip length.Sometime a difference can be due to placement in the ball joint which needs to be stable rather than same leg length.this is done to prevent dislocation and the joint must last for many years.
i also had OA in the opposite hip non replaced joint had some carthledge worn away.
giving it a few months after the bone grew in op hip and stabilize the implant I got used to the hip implant and it was a tad longer . However naturally everyone's leg length are not the same.
It iis possible to get another opinion . Also lifts can be used to be put into our shoes to level out the difference. That takes time to sort out.
Give it time to heal a little longer and hopefully your hip will resolve the feeeling that your expierencing.
take it one day at a time it will get better in a few more months. I have has two THR and one revision. Each one is different and everyone heals in differently.
peace & Healing
Hi, 6days is short time give the time. It will resolve by self or you can use insole in the shoes. I have leg length disripency but my right hip need to be done as well. It will be 6 weeks to 3 months left hip done nearly 6 months ago. I agree with Hope4cure. Heeling take time. Good luck
Heeling hug
Madla
Very helpful, thank you!
I know 6 days is short, just not a patient person. Really anxious to be up and moving. Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi Tonya, im not a patient person also. Most of us expects after
hip replecmant we will be OK. We will walk Strait away ,no pain
It is not working this way, some heel quicker and some one take little bit longer. But most of us get there we just have to have a
patience. I was like you no patience at all but I learn. After 6 weeks I did hydro therapy in hospital and it help me lots. Just do some excersice, rest when you need your body will let you know when you did so much. Walk if you can that is very good for musles. I went back to work after 14 weeks and if im honest after few days I want leave. I had pain and standing on my feet 6 to 7 hours 5 days a week it was to much specialy with right hip wich need to be
done soon. I survive even I have some time some pain and even with insole in my shoes. Im very active person and used to play tennis 3 times a week. I just want say have patience and you will see all will be fine. 6 days is to early and every day will get better
trust me. I have to go trough operation again. Not looking
forward but will be worse it not to have a pain and hopefully leg
discrepancy sort out. Tonya just take day by day be patience and you will be fine.
Heeling hug and good luck Madla💗💗
Hi Tonya,
I thought the same thing at first. Luckily as the weeks went by I could no longer tell a difference. My doctor took x-rays at my 10 day post op check and said everything looked fine. I'm sure that you will be just fine too. It takes a few weeks for everything to heal and the swelling to go down.
Best of luck on your continued recovery
You are so sweet, Madla! I really appreciate your encouraging words! Today is day 10 and I really am doing well. My PT girls tell me I' m way ahead of the game and I need to remember it takes months, not days to be 100%. I am on cane now and can go without it around the house. However I did too much last Sat and paid the price with muscle spasms all night. So, I am taking it easier the last couple of days. I guess I needed a slap to slow it down. In my head I am in my 20's and can bounce back quick, my body is reminding me that is not the case anymore! Stinks! And I realize it was major surgery!
I hate to hear you are still having pain after 14 weeks. Can I ask why you needed hip replacement? I had a car accident 30 years ago and had dislocated both hips. I knew then some day this would be my reality. So arthritis is my underlying issue. You are further down the road, but the thought of having to do this again is more than I can handle right now. My heart totally goes out to you!
Good luck to you!!
Tonya
Thanks! Counting on you being right!😜
Tonya I have a arthritis in both hips,bone on bone ,to much sports
, tennis ,play soccer as a young one, saying , original you im from Europe and we have enough a compolsery excersice 5 hours every week at school and that not helping, please my hips. I worked in nursing home ,stale ding on my feet for long hours and plus
I had stress fracture in left hip and im did not know about it till
when they find i need hips replecement. First was left one and
when I went for check up 6 weeks after operation they told me right one need to be done as well. It was big suprise for me.
I did not ,Ike it at all but now I can feel it right hip is not OK and
wake me up in night.
See if was right you will be fine. Rest when you need it ,walk,
excersice, drink lots of water. You went trough big operation
and heeling take time and you are doing well. Just take it easy
and slowly don't over do it. Spasms is not really nice I had few mostly when I push my self to hard. Be kind to your self.
Take care love and hug from Au9 Madla💗💗
I meant Australia.
Hug Madla
Tony
I have a permenant leg length discrepancy of 6mm and it is for life...it wont settle I am longer on one side,maybe yours will.
Hazel,
6mm is nothing. It's hard to believe that you can tell a difference.
About 2 months ago (6 months post FHR) I did the silliest thing. I didn't realize until I got home from work that I actually had on 2 different shoes. They were both black dress shoes, so it wasn't obvious. The difference between them was a 1 inch (26mm). The crazy thing is that in my mind I thought that I had put on my regular 2.5 inch heels and went on with my day. My body must have adjusted to the difference in heel height immediately and I honestly couldn't tell a difference.
I had my thr in 2014 and the difference in length has cause scoliosis and bulging disks in my back. No help from the Dr's for this painful issue.