Leg longer after THR

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi everyone,

​I had my Left THP last Wednesday so it's been 1 week.

​I suspected something was off a day after where first of all doing my first attempt to walk with the walker and I felt something drop inside my thigh area. I express this to the Physio who kind empathies but is more concerned about her exercises.  

While doing more exercises on crutches I do notice my Left leg was more pointed/positioned outwards and I wasn’t really able to straighten up my posture, but I just had a major op and thought not too much about it.

But as you do, I mentioned my findings to 'the' Consultant during ward rounds and I felt he casually blew both things off and said you just had big op, all will be well. The Physios were like yeah everyone has a leg size difference etc, just try your exercises like this The ward nurses said 'yeah it will get better with the swelling' etc. And with that I was genuinely happy and thankful I had gone through with the operation and was no longer experiencing the former pains.

I’m at home now and been in front of the mirror a few times and using my crutches and trying to straighten myself up and am 100% sure that my op leg is perhaps 2cm longer that my Right leg [eek] [sad] [mad] ​. In order to straighten myself out I have to stand with my leg at least 2.5feet wide which makes me push my backside out and lean forward. I mean, what's all that about?!!!!

​Walking&Stairs: where do I start? My leg size difference is so much (IMO) that I seem to be lunging my R leg forward and dragging the surplus of L leg behind (Without crutches) I notice I lean forward and take 1 regular step on my R leg and almost like do a 2.5 tap with my L leg to bring them together for the next step. Going UPstairs with my crutches I notice I have to drag the L leg (op leg) up like 2ce, 1 to lift it towards the stair and 2 to drag it onto step.

I do understand 1 week is still early days and the consultant on the day explained to me that he would have to drill a deeper socket due to the amount of damage the OT had caused. And I believed part of my issue is that I feel restricted in my walking due to this. For example, I can feel a part of the hip item in my groin area and I can feel the new hip and it has given me a hip on my Left size where I never really had one before (I was diagnosed with a Legacy of Perthes Disease which was diagnosed in my mid 20’s, I’m now 42 yrs young :o) On op day the consultant however told me that he does not believe it was actually Perthes but a deformity of my hip joint from Birth/Childhood. So again in regards to the feelings of restrictedness, I’m also still dealing with the after effects of the whole THR op.  

As with all of us you image the best outcome for your THR op and at this stage IM highly disappointed to think that I may actually be worse off than this being the brand new chapter in my life that I had anticipated this OP to signify for me. And I’m now thinking to purposely TRY to dislocate my hip joint so perhaps giving them a chance to get the length issue right (I know not a clever idea), I’m also praying that working with Physios can help to correct my positioning or else my early analysis tells my pains are on their way back (from yesterday) I started feeling my shoulder pain again after just noticing that that as well as my back former pains were no more.

Does anyone have any good news stories on leg length issues after these op? And if after some time of healing you saw any improvements and solution on how to fix this issues?

TIAdvance

2

Wow! I don't have a leg length discrepency but maybe a shoe lift will help for the time being...

3

Thanks Loral, yes I am looking into similar products. I was think of wearing my high heels again but never thought it would be like this

4

Hi Blessed4JC, I've not had my operation yet, but have been reading about it for over 5 years (getting ready!). It does appear that the surgeon can only estimate what size insert to put in....he then has to hammer it home into the marrow of the bone and it keeps going until it stops tight. there is not an option to take it out and get a smaller insert, or stop hitting it in when the leg length is correct. It has to go in until it is tight.

I think the surgeon aims to get it within 10mm of the correct legth, that is seen as perfect as possible, but within 50mm is still possible, i.e. one leg will be 2" longer or shorter than the other. Obviously when the healing has occurred, it is then possible to measure accurately and fit inserts in one heel or the other to match leg lengths. I know because this happened to my Grandad about 40 years ago, my Uncle only 6 years ago and my Dad even more recently (hereditary hip!!!).

Pain free is the ideal outcome, leg length has to be dealt with later and is a minor issue comparitively. That is why many people who get it done too soon are disappointed afterwards, it is a major operation and should only be done when necessary.

If you do not correct leg length with inserts, you will limp and get back pain or knee problems. We all hope to be the majority that come through this operation perfectly, but minor problems can be worked with. Hope this helps in a minor way. Trust you will be pain free soon.

5

Sounds very concerning, and I can understand your disappointment so far. Yes, it is very early on, but it sounds like you have some very legitimate worries here. Two weeks after my THR, I had a follow-up appointment at my surgeon's office. If you have that, too, you could ask your surgeon again about all of this. If not, then I would make an appointment to see him.

I googled "leg length discrepancy after total hip replacement" and got 61,000 results. One of those results on the first page was a link to threads on this website, Patient . info. There are 990 references there pointing to many threads that discuss this issue, and that might be helpful for you.

6

In USA leg length differances are not acceptable, and by using xray and special tables the surgeon can adjust the implants, they come in many sizes.

7

Hi Mark,

​Thank you so much for this insight, it given me Hope.

Inserts! Really! Im now going to look up all about these and if is the best immediate result seek to get them/it. I do understand after the op, the issue of lenght will be an after thought and dealt with as such by the consultants. But its a real issue for those of us having theses op's.

​I pray your Op goes beautifully well and that you are in the majority camp that have perfect results during and after OP. A hereditary hip cannot be good! Your probably concerned for your own kids too but I pray they are spared the condition.  

​Thanks once again for sharing and I will let you know how I get on.

8

Hi Blessed, 

Warm welcome to this forum of hippies where personal stories an experiences are shared -

You already mentioned a couple of times that you know that it is still early days for you, and yes, it is - your whole body has been out of whack for a long time and over time adjusted to bad posture, walking etc -

Now it just went through a major surgery and forced in to a position it is not comfortable with yet -

I thought that there wqs a lot of difference between my legs too, mentioned it to PT and surgeon and got the same response as you ... nobody's legs are perfectly the same length anyway - got 2nd THR and goodness, I thought I was totally lobsided - first thing my surgeon dis after surgery was put my legs together and tell me that there is a minimal length difference - it will feel weird because everything is re-alligning itself - the brain has to be retrained so to speak -

no inserts until one year post-op - 

you will know more at your 6-weeks appointment -

I swear I can feel the hardware sometimes too - I had 2 THR surgeries-

  ... I am told that this is normal - apparently everything is "normal" for some time 

but if you have pain and fever , or are very worried, please make an appointment with your doctor 

in the meantime, be very gentle with yourself 

big warm hug

renee

9

Hi Annie,

​Thank you. Yes addressing this issues with the hospital, consultant that carried it out is in process and as of today my priority. How sad, as I really didnt expect this to be my outcome.

​I did do a google search and found some older threads on this topic and it's really quite sad. I have also heard researches suggest women seem to suffer witt this negative outcome more than men.  

10

Hi Renee,

​Aww thank you so very much for the welcome and much needed hug :o) Thank you.

​I really appreciate your reality check advice and did not know insteps would only be adressed that late down the line :o( Im praying hard that all things line up in a short space of time. I suppose I dont really get the magnitude of the op I ve been through and how my poor body needs to do it's own resettling, stage by stage (humbled).

​You have had 2 THR, wow! You did make me chuckle when you said you felt lobsided after the 2nd. Awwww. I have heard you and I will try to take it easy and 'really' honour the healing process.

​Thank you once agan for your reality check post :o)     

11

I totally agree with the USA policy. Sounds like the UK needs to follow 'these' types of exampes.

12

Wishing you the best in getting what you need from the professionals. And do try to take it as easy as you can for these first few weeks. After getting up the 4 stairs into my house after I returned home on day 4 post-op, I didn't do any stairs for two more weeks until I went for my follow-up appt with the surgeon, and then it was just those 4 steps down and back up again. Lots of lying down, sitting and moving around from bed to bathroom to table for food was all I did, except for some VERY simple, mild physical therapy in-home. I even needed my sister to come open the door for the physical therapist for the first couple of weeks. Our bodies have suffered LOTS of trauma from this surgery and there is an intense amount of healing going on inside our hip/thigh area. Our job is to try to interfere as little as possible with that!

13

Hi there

​I am 8 months post op, but straight after surgery, I felt as if i had a metal rod in my operated thigh and felt as if my operated leg was longer than the other.

​When I saw my surgeon after 5 weeks, he said that he had had to lengthen my operated leg as there was a difference due to the cartilage wearing away. He also said that the pelvis has to realign itself after years of incorrect walking and that all would be well and to be patient. Pleased to say that is the case and I am walking perfectly  now. and have been for some time.

It is very early days for you, but do speak to your consultant's secretary if you are truly concerned as your surgeon would not want you to feel unhappy when both you and he have gone through this major op together

I hope you feel better as the days and weeks go by

​Kind regards Linda

14

Im 8 weeks post op. I felt just like you describe. But have to say it has all settled as the swelling and bruising subsides. Is slitely sore and its a differant shape to the good hip. But still very early days. I hope yours settles too. X its very early days.

15

Hi

I felt exactly the same as you after my hip replacement. The moment I looked at my legs I felt my left looked longer and when I tried to walk it was kind of dragging as it was too long. (I'm 41 and had a childhood hip deformity which I knew about before surger and my left leg was a little shorter)

I felt devastated and really worried about it until my 6 week check up. My consultant said there was not a length discrepancy. They had added a little length to even me out and it was my pelvis that needed to realign. I wasn't convinced at the time, but 4 months on I can see and feel that my legs are almost even now.

I did suffer with back ache and knee ache where everything was having to get used to being different, but it is getting easier. The back ache has almost gone and my knee has improved.

This could be the same problem you are having so don't despair just yet.

All the best.

Sarah x

16

Hi Linda,

very relieved to read your post.

i am 2 weeks post op, and like you had Mike Cronin perform the superpath surgery.

he assured me the day after the surgery that my leg lengths are exactly the same, but my pelvis is tilted due to pre op degeneration.

ive been fretting that it won't resolve itself (even though he assured me it would), so am much relieved to read your post.

btw did you suffer from any back pain as your pelvic tilt was resolving itself? 

Thanks v much.

lindsey

17

Hi Pansy,

​sorry for the late reply.

Wow really! Your post fills me with more HOPE (I keep reading your testimony) I will be patient and work wih the Physio's as well and pray I have an similar testimony in the end.

​Thanks so very much for responding with this great testimony.

18

Hi Dawn,

​Another good Testimony Fantastic! Im really seeing from the responses that I really do need to be patient, honour the healing process and remember that it is still very early days

​Thanks so very much for responding and God bless with your continued recovery.

19

And one more question if you don't mind......

Dis you have to do any special physio exercises to help level off the pelvis?

big thanks for response.

lindsey x

20

hi Linda,

good to see you again. ?

how are you doing otherwise?

We have come a long way, haven't we.

Big warm hug

Renee ❤