still worried at 6 months post op

Bones, joints and muscles
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Hi, Hip friends.

Today I am having a follow-up at 6  months post op with my surgeon because on continuing issues.    I am still worried because I need to have Left hip replacement on my opposite leg and am still not sure that

everything is working properly with my operative leg and won't proceed until Im sure.

So here's the thing.  At 6 months most op, my right side operative leg still has many issues.  First, I still have continuing groin pain especially when I do a little more extensive walking on my operative leg.  I get groin pain even when I carry a small pocketbook on that side.  My thigh still feels tight and refuses to loosen.  I have a hard, knot sensation of pain when I do any of my exercises just below my groin in the beginning of my upper thigh making exercise very uncomfortable.  When I bend my knee, despite my surgeon telling my x-rays of my right knee is normal, and if I bend my knee up towards my chest just a little past 90 degrees, I still experience extreme stiffness in all of my thigh, and even my calf muscle. Exercycling causes pain in the top part of my thigh just below my groin and I feel no incentive to exercise.

I don't know what's normal anymore.  I wonder if an MRI would give me more information if there's something wrong. Can they MRI my entire thigh from groin to knee when I have a metal devise???   I feel like I have not recovered properly and my surgeon just keeps po po'ing me and telling me I need to take a drug that was pulled off the market for being dangerous - - celebrex when I have a history of heart disease with almost all of my family and I'd prefer to aire on the side of caution.

I'm so depressed that my surgery has failed in many ways and may have to do it again..      What could be wrong?

Is there anyone out there with any of these issues at this later stage of recovery?  Would appreciate any comments today before I see the surgeon to compare with others.  Thank you all

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... and, incidentally, my surgeon told me at 4 months, he didn't see anything             wrong.       And  I anticipate he will tell me that again.

    so why all these problems when I should be feeling good by now.

    I could use tips on what to say to him because at this point I'm really feeling 

    frustrated with my recovery.

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9 weeks po today. I get groin pain when I attempt to exercise. My surgeon did tell me no kickboxing, running or dance aerobics. Groin pain will happen when you overdo for as long as 4-6 months. They say some people take long as a year to heal. Please post again after you see your doc. I've not resumed my full exercises yet either because of pain. 

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Oh Susan so sorry about all you are going through!! I am 10 weeks post op of second hip surgery on same hip. I had first July 18 & 3 weeks later I find out its dislocated. 2 days later I'm having a hip revision. 6 weeks non weight bearing or any type of real movement and on 80% hip flexion. I'm 4 weeks weight bearing as tolerated. I too have tight thigh muscles and can't bend my knee all the way. Also have discomfort in groin. I'm better now than 3 weeks ago. Beginning Monday I start out patient therapy. I saw dr this past Tuesday. X-ray shows hardware is good. Says all the stiffness, pain, limp & difficulty walking without a crutch is weakness if hip muscles, the fact he had to cut butt muscle and reattachel it, i also have bursitis & tendinitis. Plus he gave me almost all the length back I was 1 & 1/2 inch shorter prior to surgery and now my muscles are being pulled. He said for me to give him 6 weeks of out patient physical therapy as what home therapy I was doing was just enough to keep me moving some but not enough as out patient can give with all the equipment. Plus I still had hip precautions. So I don't know if my story helps in anyway. Wishing you all the best and getting answers and relief from what you are going thru. Prayers that all will be resolved! Hugs, 🤗 Linda D

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Hi Susanbaci

Sorry to hear of your problems. I also have problems nearly 5 mths post THR.

Not sure it's the same pain but I get pain and soreness around the front top of thigh and around the back near the glutes and a soreness and tenderness on the side below my scar. I always have pain but it moves round. I had one cortisone injection and due to have another. It didn't help and I don't think the next will help.

Consultant says hip is OK but I want to know why I'm getting inflammation and tendinitis.

Like you, I feel I'm been fobbed off. Physio hasn't helped.

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Hi Linda. I'm curious. I was concerned my "bad" leg had become a bit shorter over time due to cartilage wearing down etc. Talked about this being looked at and corrected during surgery if needed. Ironically, my leg now feels longer!!! Therapist says it may just need time to settle in/up into socket or something to that effect. Also mentioned shoe lift for other leg if it truly is longer etc. etc. I'm really glad of the technology and ability to get rid of the pain but geez, I'm feeling annoyed at possible length issue here. Also, just last day or 2 feeling more pain. Inner upper thigh area - not sore or surgical but feels more like original arthritis pain. Thoughts?

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It can take longer than 6 months to fully heal.  Sounds like some, at least of the discomforts are very common while many people heal.  So there is inflammation still and there are much better drugs..maybe Mobix or other anti-infammitories with help??  Maybe taking care of it not so different than ealier on- with ice, more careful programming of movement combined with both intermittent and long healing rests.  Staying active but listening/heading the pain is usually advised.  I would ask the doc about any diagnostics that can check to see all is well. Maybe if you not getting the time of day reaching out to other medical providers-surgeons  who may be willing to help.

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After reading a lot of varying comments on here I have to say its good fro those who get through their experiances posatively and such a shame that those that have awfull problems there doesnt seem to be a good support system,I heard a comment on another issue last week were it was said that we are going back to the dark ages of the 80s in the NHS,Can I just say that back then you stayed in hospital with excellant care for 10days and went home to the best care plan ever,nurse came to see you every day and helped with your individual recovery.So the dark ages were by far a much better service and not dominated by finance.My op is not till january but by then I will have researched every aspect,good luck all on here for being the brave people that you are..HERO.S

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Hi Etta! I kind of felt like after my second surgery that the leg was a slight bit longer. I haven't gotten it checked but when I put my legs together lying in the bed it is a slight bit short. Which is fine, because the surgeon had said if you pull the sciatica nerve too much you get that dropped foot and I told him prior to the first surgery, so he knew that I did not want that to happen!! if it meant keeping me a little short I was fine with that I don't think I could've handled a drop foot on top of everything else!! Now as I walk I feel a lot of tightness in the upper front thigh area and of course the knee because of the fact that I can't bend the knee fully. I'm hip pt will help as I have not had the full pt yet. Have been home bound for 9 weeks!! Only therapy was home and there's only so much that can be done. I do notice when I do step on the operated leg my foot feels like it's a little higher even though they're both planted on the floor it just feels a little higher.

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Thanks for your reply. I wonder how bursitis and tendinitis are diagnosed. I, too, had a big leg length discrepancy leaving operative leg much longer. At 5 months 5 days 5 hours to be more exact post op recalculated, the leg length did get better and in more time, I'm sure yours will too. Later today at my surgeons appt I will ask if i still have that issue but I can tell in time that's one thing that got better.

Hugs and prayers back at you.

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Really appreciate your response. I will think about taking Mobic to see if that has any effect. I know he plans on followup X-rays today. Maybe I am the example of one of those people who needs the full year to recover fully.

Let's hope so. Hugs to you and thanks for your reply

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I know I should of asked my dr. But I think because of all the stiffness and pain in the muscles surrounding the hip. Also my IT band is being affected. So many things but I was already having IT band issues prior to surgery. But I have to persevere through this and have faith and hope that I will get better!! You will too!! 🙏🏽🤗

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Nine months out from my revision, mine still isn't perfect - and I suspect it never will be - still having pain issues, but nothing as bad as the pre-op OA pain, so I am better than I was.   When commuting on trains, or on bus, if the journey is a bit rough it hurts (sometimes more, sometimes less) in the scar area.  When walking up a long platform, sometimes I get a 'wobble', and start going slightly sideways and 'off course'.  When at work, and sitting immobile for a while, my lower back starts to ache.

I'm not perfect, but I am MUCH better than I was, and in MUCH less pain.

Graham

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Susan, if your xrays look good, that means that your bones and prostheses are fine. Xray cannot, however, tell you anything about soft tissue problems, which are common after THR. You can have an MRI of your hip, and it shows everything from the top of your leg to your waist, both sides, in great detail, from different angles.  Make sure it is a MARS MRI, though, "Metal artifact reduction sequence", because of the metal implants. I have become quite the expert reading them myself. You can compare yours to those with normal tissue that you can find on the web. I've had MARS MRIs of my hip and regular MRIs of my spine. You get a CD with the results and you can see them yourself. You can also have musculo-skeletal diagnostic ultrasound, which can be useful in diagnosing soft tissue issues.

I had a THR in July 2015 and have had pain and a severe limp (whenever I don't use walking aids) ever since. My original surgeon was like yours, telling me there was a "weakness in there" and I should do more PT. This after 5 months and 22 sessions and still the same result. He referred me to a physiatrist, who checked out my back, since sometimes hip/leg issues are caused by spine/back problems, and that came out ok, no problem. I posted on this forum and immediately got a response saying it sounded like I had a torn gluteus medius or minimus muscle/tendon. I read up on it, and it fit me to a T. My original surgeon wouldn't even consider it. I went for a second opinion, had imaging done and have a tear so bad that it needs surgery. Am scheduled for that next week.

Your problem is something else, I'm sure, as you have different symptoms than I do, but it is probably soft tissue injury - muscle, tendon, ligament.

If your current orthopedist/surgeon is not offering you imaging to check out soft tissue problems, I urge you to go for a second opinion in a different practice than your current doctor. You should not be having pain and disability like this so long after your surgery. Keep on advocating for yourself and pushing for the proper diagnosis and treatment that you deserve!

One more note of warning, though, you need an expert to read the MRI correctly. My original surgeon finally ordered an MRI of my hip at my urging. Neigher he nor the radiologist could see anything wrong. My new doctor also ordered one, and that radiologist saw nothing, but my surgeon, who has a specialty in repairing gluteus muscles/tendons, saw the tear immediately. Seeing the tear on the scan, plus the physical exam of what my body could and couldn't do, sealed the diagnosis.

Best of luck to you, Susan!

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I see like me you research every thing,I.m glad I.m not the only one.Bit of an explanation if you can bare with me.Just over a year ago I fel from a bus,not to the ground but hanging on,my leg jolted as though it was heading for a different distance than what was there,It was like my shock obsorbers went,??Walking a lifting became so painful.I had an apointment at the hospitals orthopedic ,my son took me in a wheel chair,poor bloke he is sight impaired,while there asked about my leg,had n exray,saw nothing and let me go,3 more apointments with doctor,nothing.I had to go on steroids for an illness long period,as you may or may not know I went pain free,steroids do that!!!

Now I.m having hip op,but my thigh muscle kills also a point at the bottom of my bottom on the bone.I know I should never have walked on it but no one helped,Ive been in pain since so this op is a worry,still no one listening,so delayed it till January while I do some research on line,going to read the few tips you put in,But still who is listening,good luck lovey Jo

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hi susan, 

I am so sorry about what you are going  through at the moment -

In a way I understand  how you feel - I had my 1st THR surgery and initially I thought it went well - no OA pain ,just discomfort and stiffness - 3 weeks post-op I started to get pain in my groin, similar (I thought) as pre-op - 

That is when I found this forum - received a lot of support and information which I discussed with my physical therapist - they don't like  that - 

around 6 weeks post-op the new xray showed that other hip's cartilage had gone from mild to severe loss, bone-on-bone and also needed the HR surgery -

 Susan, from that moment on, the following months w spent in agony - -

my brand new hip had to support the other rapidly declining hip - so in essence, healing could not take place - at least not fully -

the pains you describe fit my experience - PT told me to increase exercises and stationary bike up to a point that I could not move anymore - 

(unfortunately I had to move houses !!!)

at 6 months appointment the 2nd THR was scheduled - pain gone and finally had the feeling that my body could really start the healing process - 

what I am trying to say is that your new hip is not  able to recover properly right now - if possible and when you  are up to it, have the other hip done ... 

oh, and my surgeon also prescribed Celebrex .... no pain medication will help anymore --

I just saw that you have seen your doctor ....please let us know howit went ...

big warm hug

renee

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Morning Annie! If you don't mind me asking what kind of symptoms where you having when you found out about the torn gluteus medius or minimus muscle/tendon?? I am limping pretty significantly but dr thinks it weakness. I had been non weight bearing for 6 weeks no movement of hip and have been weight bearing for 4 weeks now. Only home therapy but Monday, God willing, I start out patient therapy. LD. 🤗🤓

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Hi, Linda! I don't mind at all! I have a significant limp, plus pain in my butt cheek and around the greater trochanter area, where the gluteus medius attaches. I also have other pain in my thigh, but that may not be related to the GM tear. I have been unable to balance on the operative leg by itself at all since the THR. My leg just collapses if I try. Yes, a limp is always caused by "weakness", the question is why is it weak. In my case the "weakness" is caused by the severe tear. Sometimes the tear or injury to the GM isn't as bad, and given enough time for it to heal, and then following up with exercise to strengthen it, will do the trick and surgical repair is not needed.

Some (perhaps many?) orthopedists aren't aware that a GM tear can even occur, much less need surgery to fix, like my former orthopedic surgeon.

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Thanks Annie I appreciate your info. I have pain in butt when I walk not severe but a little bothersome. I can stand on that leg ok for a bit. I also have pain on outer thigh dr said it's the IT band. The whole thigh muscles are so sore too. I rub them at least once a day. It's not fun but i figured I better start massaging to help loosen them up cause I'm extremely tight too. Having difficulty bending knee fully especially when I walk. Makes getting in vehicle hard. I don't think I have a tear. I can't even imagine what you went thru and now having to have surgery again! Prayers that all go well for you!! And again thank you for telling me your story. Hugs, 🤗 LD

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I have similar issues although not the same. But the groin pain and knotted feeling are tendinitis of the psoas. Totally recoverable, but lengthier than we would like. I am an imPatient patient and am having a difficult time "laying low"