Hip replacement

Anyone climbing out there with an artificial hip? Id love to hear any details. And no, I'm not 80.

I was told I needed a hip replacement 7 years ago. I found a treatment and am now pain free without drugs. Hopefully I can continue to delay getting metal.

Syd
What was your treatment?

One of my best friends from college had his hip replaced at 35. He was a D1 athlete in college and an avid runner, mtn biker and kyaker throughout his 20s and early 30s. He climbed a little but not seriously. It took him less than two moths to get back to 90% and 6 month out he was better than before the operation. He can do pretty much everything he did before, just with less pain. His only regret was that he did have the procedure sooner.

Good luck!

NC Rock Climber wrote:One of my best friends from college had his hip replaced at 35. He was a D1 athlete in college and an avid runner, mtn biker and kyaker throughout his 20s and early 30s. He climbed a little but not seriously. It took him less than two moths to get back to 90% and 6 month out he was better than before the operation. He can do pretty much everything he did before, just with less pain. His only regret was that he did have the procedure sooner. Good luck!

This essentially mirrors the situation of one of my close friends. He was an intense athlete throughout his 20-30's until his hip pain became simply unbearable. He also put off the surgery because he was afraid that he would not be able to return to his expected level of activity. Nevertheless, he did have the surgery and he has more than returned to the level of biking, climbing, etc. that he was at before. He is more careful about some specific risks to the hip, but nothing that prohibits him from getting after hard. Do your homework and perhaps most importantly, get a good doctor to do the work. Other than that, you should be good to go. Good luck man.

My wife got a new hip a few years ago at 55. She's pretty tough, but the turning point for her was at Sinks, when she couldn't face the approaches (they're very short). Even with the 800mg ibuprofen. We don't climb very hard, but she's back to where she was, with no pain. Like NC's friend, she only wishes she'd had it done sooner. Her activity is unrestricted (she climbs, skis, backpacks, works out). But I think a lot depends on whether the surgeon is sport savvy, and hers was.

had them both done..one in 2005 and the other last january..don't wait, the procedure gets quicker every year..1-2 nights in hospital and then the fun rehab....BUT it doesn't hurt anymore !!!!

There's also "Hip Replacement" vs. "Hip Resurfacing". The latter is poorly named and really a higher-tech hip replacement, it really just replaces less bone and doesn't change your hip geometry as much, but requires a more specialized surgeon. I had my hip resurfaced 5 years ago and am feeling great (at age 53). But Hip Resurfacing has gotten some bad press lately with the DePuy recall and "metal-on-metal" joints perhaps not the best choice. It's a complex subject.

George Bell wrote:There's also "Hip Replacement" vs. "Hip Resurfacing". The latter is poorly named and really a higher-tech hip replacement, it really just replaces less bone and doesn't change your hip geometry as much, but requires a more specialized surgeon. I had my hip resurfaced 5 years ago and am feeling great (at age 53). But Hip Resurfacing has gotten some bad press lately with the DePuy recall and "metal-on-metal" joints perhaps not the best choice. It's a complex subject.

I hear what you are saying George. My buddy had the resurfacing done though, because given his relatively young age, he will surely need another hip at some point and having the resurface meant that he could put off total hip replacement. I guess its just another thing to consider.

Take a look at this article - hss.edu/conditions_anterior….

I am an avid trad climber for 25 years and just had both hips replaced
right 2012 and left 2 monthes ago. The right was better than before
the replacement in 6 monthes! I am already back to climbing and
building the muscles in the left. The ortho told me I should have
150 degrees of rotation in both hips and with the anterior method
heal hooks are NOT prohibited. I am training with climbing and yoga
and hope to be BETTER than before. I was below 20 degrees of motion
in both hips and walking, sitting and sleeping were painful. I don't
take aleve anymore!

Thomas Willis wrote:Syd What was your treatment?

7 years ago, I'd had 3 months of physio and the pain got steadily worse. I couldn't even turn to reverse the car when driving; or roll over in bed. Sitting was painful. Various drugs helped little. Two specialists told me it would only get worse and a hip replacement was the only alternative.

I did some research and had a theory that very hard massage around the lower spine might help. It did. 1 hour a day for the first year or so, now 30 minutes every 3 days. I now have no pain. At the first signs, my wonderful wife gives me a massage.

I've spoken to various people about it over the years and most don't seem to believe me, however I recently found a new physio who said that is exactly how she treats people with symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hips.

had my right hip replaced 5 years ago. no complications, no complaints. healing in terms of regaining muscle mass and strength took maybe a year. you got to remember there is atrophy in a muscle any time it's not being used and limping around for a dozen years is certainly not using the muscles full motion. you also have to fight through the muscle memory of the limp, or standing always on the same leg, or any number of habits you form subconsciously to favor the weakness. the biggest thing i struggled with was convincing myself that it was okay to fall again, especially bouldering. that took many gym days and it was probably 3 years before i was really comfortable hitting the ground outdoors with just crash pads. here's a couple things to consider: select a surgeon that's done boat loads of replacements. if they use the out the side surgery then you're going to have awful shin splints, take a stool softener every time you take a loritab. get as fit as you possibly can before surgery. have some help the first week or so. if things have gotten bad for you like can't sleep, can't sit, can't hardly walk and you feel like a freaking invalid, don't fear the knife. play hard

Syd wrote: 7 years ago, I'd had 3 months of physio and the pain got steadily worse. I couldn't even turn to reverse the car when driving; or roll over in bed. Sitting was painful. Various drugs helped little. Two specialists told me it would only get worse and a hip replacement was the only alternative. I did some research and had a theory that very hard massage around the lower spine might help. It did. 1 hour a day for the first year or so, now 30 minutes every 3 days. I now have no pain. At the first signs, my wonderful wife gives me a massage. I've spoken to various people about it over the years and most don't seem to believe me, however I recently found a new physio who said that is exactly how she treats people with symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hips.

Lower spine as in above the pelvis or lower spine as in the upper glut max (upper buttocks)? I could conceivably see advantages in normalizing tone in both areas.

There is one caveat to consider when deciding on the timing of a hip replacement, and that's the longevity of the replacement itself. The best data suggest that they last 15 years or so, maybe 20 with the newer designs and methods, if implanted properly in a person with healthy bone. The catch is the data are from typical hip replacement patients, who are mostly elderly and whose exercise is usually no more vigorous than golf. Knee replacements generally don't last as well as hips, more like 10 years, again the data being mostly from people who don't stress them that much. It's usually possible to do a revision once, but it may not last quite as long as the first one.

It's a tradeoff, being pain-free and able to do the things we want to do while we're young enough to do them vs. what we're left with at the end of the joint's service life - which in a vigorous recreational athlete will be significantly less than the old folks get. I have a knee that needs replacing, but I'm a doctor and I know the data; with my activity level I would quite possibly destroy it in 5 years. Even with a revision, I'd be SOL by age 65-70, so I'm holding out as long as I can. I won't pull the trigger for pain, or for the few climbing moves I can't make right now, but when it really starts cutting into my function, it'll be time.

Getting old sucks, but it beats the alternative.

Lee Green wrote: ... I'd be SOL by age 65-70, so I'm holding out as long as I can. ...

SOL ?
I gather that the 2nd hip replacement only last 5-10 yrs or so, then it's a wheelchair ? If you plan to live over 90, that means the first hip replacement should wait until you're over 65-70 ?

make sure you get a second opinion before surgery. I've been dealing with intense hip and buttock pain for 5 months, it was diagnosed as piriformus muscle syndrome but just would not get better. my wife, who is a nurse, finally made me go to a back specialist and it turned out to be a ruptured disc pushing against a nerve. they injected some steroids in my spine and within 2 days I was pain free for the first time in quite a while. the moral of this story is: don't believe everything the doctors say and always listen to your wife (at least, that's what she says and i'm listening to her).

hey jeep, I know what your saying about muscle memory, even though I was hurtin' for just a few months I automatically start to limp when I get out of a chair. it takes a few steps to realize i'm not in pain anymore.

look at the xrays .. if it's shot,it's shot no 2 ways about it..

A new knee Oxford, iswhat I'm looking at for 2014..it has a warranty !! way less invasive as well

john strand wrote: look at the xrays .. if it's shot,it's shot no 2 ways about it.. A new knee Oxford, iswhat I'm looking at for 2014..it has a warranty !! way less invasive as well

Pain isn't that simple. Plenty of examples of people with horrible looking X-rays and little to no pain.

I don't mean the pain, I mean the joint itself.. they don't get better