Guest guest Posted April 18, 2004 Report Share Posted April 18, 2004 I'm interested in all the recent discussions on leg length. I'm 52 and have bad OA in my R hip due to a slipped cap femoral ephysis when I was 12. While painful I don't think I'm anywhere as bad off yet as most of you have described yourselves pre surgery. I'm not bone on bone yet. My R leg is slightly shorter (less than 1/2 " and my pelvis tilts up on the left side. It's pretty obvious when I look in the mirror. I have pretty severe bursitis on my left side, sometimes it hurts if my husband just places his hand on my thigh. Actually my whole left side hurts from my head to my neck to my lower back, down to my toes. I've been given the impression by a few docs that all this would go away if I get my hip done. My fear is that they won't. I'd check into a hospital tomorrow if this was certain. Was wondering what you all thought. I was scheduled to have a THR this May until, thank God, I came across this website. I have tried some heel lifts, but can't say that it helped. I don't know if they were fitted correctly. Anyway, I would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks, Harriet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2004 Report Share Posted April 18, 2004 Harriet, My experience was that immediately after the hip resurface (day after surgery) that my back and knee pain had gone, and didn't recur. It took a month or so for the overstress in my right shoulder (from weight bearing on a cane) to go away. At least 2 years prior to surgery I'd gone to a chiropractor for knee pain (rather than have the exploratory surgery the knee surgeon suggested). She sent me to have X-rays taken standing up, so as to check on the hip allignment while load bearing. Showed that the reason for my effective 1/4 " shorter left leg was twisted and dropped pelvis, not a shorter femur. She prescribed a heel lift. During the next 2 years as I got to be bone on bone on the left side this shortening continued, so that by the time of the operation there was more than 1/2 " of difference. Immediately after the operation the operated leg was still effectively 1/2 " shorter but that caused no pain .. over the next 9 months, with stretching and strengthening, and after 6 months, pilates abdominal strengthening, the pelivs has untwisted and my legs are effectively the same length again. No limp; at 11 months I walked 13 miles one day, on sand and pebbles as well as road, with no pain other than a blister or two (on the island of Barra). This history is probably not of much help to Elenor, who said her operated leg was longer pre-op, and is still longer post-op, but may be of interest to other people whose legs have become different lengths due to the muscles and ligaments compensating for the loss of hip cartilage artifex, L BHR Nov 2002 McMinn > I'm interested in all the recent discussions on leg length. I'm 52 > and have bad OA in my R hip due to a slipped cap femoral ephysis when > I was 12. While painful I don't think I'm anywhere as bad off yet as > most of you have described yourselves pre surgery. I'm not bone on > bone yet. My R leg is slightly shorter (less than 1/2 " and my pelvis > tilts up on the left side. It's pretty obvious when I look in the > mirror. I have pretty severe bursitis on my left side, sometimes it > hurts if my husband just places his hand on my thigh. Actually my > whole left side hurts from my head to my neck to my lower back, down > to my toes. > > I've been given the impression by a few docs that all this would go > away if I get my hip done. My fear is that they won't. I'd check > into a hospital tomorrow if this was certain. Was wondering what you > all thought. > > I was scheduled to have a THR this May until, thank God, I came > across this website. > > I have tried some heel lifts, but can't say that it helped. I don't > know if they were fitted correctly. Anyway, I would appreciate any > and all advice. > > Thanks, > Harriet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2004 Report Share Posted April 18, 2004 Harriet, My experience was that immediately after the hip resurface (day after surgery) that my back and knee pain had gone, and didn't recur. It took a month or so for the overstress in my right shoulder (from weight bearing on a cane) to go away. At least 2 years prior to surgery I'd gone to a chiropractor for knee pain (rather than have the exploratory surgery the knee surgeon suggested). She sent me to have X-rays taken standing up, so as to check on the hip allignment while load bearing. Showed that the reason for my effective 1/4 " shorter left leg was twisted and dropped pelvis, not a shorter femur. She prescribed a heel lift. During the next 2 years as I got to be bone on bone on the left side this shortening continued, so that by the time of the operation there was more than 1/2 " of difference. Immediately after the operation the operated leg was still effectively 1/2 " shorter but that caused no pain .. over the next 9 months, with stretching and strengthening, and after 6 months, pilates abdominal strengthening, the pelivs has untwisted and my legs are effectively the same length again. No limp; at 11 months I walked 13 miles one day, on sand and pebbles as well as road, with no pain other than a blister or two (on the island of Barra). This history is probably not of much help to Elenor, who said her operated leg was longer pre-op, and is still longer post-op, but may be of interest to other people whose legs have become different lengths due to the muscles and ligaments compensating for the loss of hip cartilage artifex, L BHR Nov 2002 McMinn > I'm interested in all the recent discussions on leg length. I'm 52 > and have bad OA in my R hip due to a slipped cap femoral ephysis when > I was 12. While painful I don't think I'm anywhere as bad off yet as > most of you have described yourselves pre surgery. I'm not bone on > bone yet. My R leg is slightly shorter (less than 1/2 " and my pelvis > tilts up on the left side. It's pretty obvious when I look in the > mirror. I have pretty severe bursitis on my left side, sometimes it > hurts if my husband just places his hand on my thigh. Actually my > whole left side hurts from my head to my neck to my lower back, down > to my toes. > > I've been given the impression by a few docs that all this would go > away if I get my hip done. My fear is that they won't. I'd check > into a hospital tomorrow if this was certain. Was wondering what you > all thought. > > I was scheduled to have a THR this May until, thank God, I came > across this website. > > I have tried some heel lifts, but can't say that it helped. I don't > know if they were fitted correctly. Anyway, I would appreciate any > and all advice. > > Thanks, > Harriet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 18, 2004 Report Share Posted April 18, 2004 Harriet, My experience was that immediately after the hip resurface (day after surgery) that my back and knee pain had gone, and didn't recur. It took a month or so for the overstress in my right shoulder (from weight bearing on a cane) to go away. At least 2 years prior to surgery I'd gone to a chiropractor for knee pain (rather than have the exploratory surgery the knee surgeon suggested). She sent me to have X-rays taken standing up, so as to check on the hip allignment while load bearing. Showed that the reason for my effective 1/4 " shorter left leg was twisted and dropped pelvis, not a shorter femur. She prescribed a heel lift. During the next 2 years as I got to be bone on bone on the left side this shortening continued, so that by the time of the operation there was more than 1/2 " of difference. Immediately after the operation the operated leg was still effectively 1/2 " shorter but that caused no pain .. over the next 9 months, with stretching and strengthening, and after 6 months, pilates abdominal strengthening, the pelivs has untwisted and my legs are effectively the same length again. No limp; at 11 months I walked 13 miles one day, on sand and pebbles as well as road, with no pain other than a blister or two (on the island of Barra). This history is probably not of much help to Elenor, who said her operated leg was longer pre-op, and is still longer post-op, but may be of interest to other people whose legs have become different lengths due to the muscles and ligaments compensating for the loss of hip cartilage artifex, L BHR Nov 2002 McMinn > I'm interested in all the recent discussions on leg length. I'm 52 > and have bad OA in my R hip due to a slipped cap femoral ephysis when > I was 12. While painful I don't think I'm anywhere as bad off yet as > most of you have described yourselves pre surgery. I'm not bone on > bone yet. My R leg is slightly shorter (less than 1/2 " and my pelvis > tilts up on the left side. It's pretty obvious when I look in the > mirror. I have pretty severe bursitis on my left side, sometimes it > hurts if my husband just places his hand on my thigh. Actually my > whole left side hurts from my head to my neck to my lower back, down > to my toes. > > I've been given the impression by a few docs that all this would go > away if I get my hip done. My fear is that they won't. I'd check > into a hospital tomorrow if this was certain. Was wondering what you > all thought. > > I was scheduled to have a THR this May until, thank God, I came > across this website. > > I have tried some heel lifts, but can't say that it helped. I don't > know if they were fitted correctly. Anyway, I would appreciate any > and all advice. > > Thanks, > Harriet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2004 Report Share Posted April 19, 2004 Edith, I think your response hit the nail right on the head. I think all these aches and pains are very much related to my hip, gait, etc. being out of whack. The last time I saw an OS, I felt confused by his response, but I think what he was telling me that the rest of my problems would go away if I had my hip fixed. I had scheduled surgery for a THR in May, but thank God I came across this site because I feel convinced that resurfacing is the way to go for me. (Funny, this doctor never mentioned anything about resurfacing to me) I would prefer not to travel, if it's not necessary and so have an appointment with Dr. Vail at Duke U. in July. What I'm beginning to suspect is that I would be better off having the surgery sooner than later. The good temporary news for me, at least, is that I teach college-level and have only two more weeks to go till the semester ends and I can get off of my feet. Best wishes Harriet In surfacehippy , " ecrow " wrote: > Hi Harriet, > > Welcome to the group and you do indeed sound like you have some serious > health hassles. > > When you say you are hurting from head to toe down one side, is this each > joint or do you have more of that bursitis in other parts? Have doctors > given you a reasonable explanation of why it is down your thigh and why the > body is reacting in this fashion out of the left hip? > > Other areas of the body do get upset about any joint not functioning as it > should. My left hip was fused and as a result my left knee, right shoulder, > and a lot of spine were damaged along with worn areas on the right hip, left > ankle and believe it or not left wrist........never been able to quite work > out how left wrist fitted into the story.............. maybe just getting > out of chairs etc. > > Most of these areas have slowly settled with a lot of work done to > strengthen them and easing of the stress placed on them. I may still be up > for a right hip replacement and my back will never be happy but it functions > much better now............ The big thing is how much damage you have in > real terms. i.e. if xrays are showing extensive cartledge damage in various > joints, that doesn't repair too well but the pain may be eased if you use > different angles post op and so back onto the reasonable cartledge zone of > the said joint and strengthen the muscles to carry more weight around the > said joint. I am over 50 too and noticed that this seemed to be a signal to > my body to develop extensive arthritis like symptoms even in the tendons > around stressed joints. > > So the trouble with leaving all these things until bone on bone is happening > big time in one hip, is you may have created extensive damage elsewhere > attempting to live any sort of life. Then the road back is far harder, far > more expensive in terms of correcting gait, sorting out muscles, even > finding them etc.- well if emails to this forum are anything to go > on............ Which really does make me wonder why so many report that > their OS said to wait until everything is a mess to have a hip replacement. > Then again they only replace the joint, the patient gets all the hassle with > fixing the body up around it. > > Edith LBHR Dr. L Walter Syd Aust 8/02 > > > > > I'm interested in all the recent discussions on leg length. I'm 52 > > and have bad OA in my R hip due to a slipped cap femoral ephysis when > > I was 12. While painful I don't think I'm anywhere as bad off yet as > > most of you have described yourselves pre surgery. I'm not bone on > > bone yet. My R leg is slightly shorter (less than 1/2 " and my pelvis > > tilts up on the left side. It's pretty obvious when I look in the > > mirror. I have pretty severe bursitis on my left side, sometimes it > > hurts if my husband just places his hand on my thigh. Actually my > > whole left side hurts from my head to my neck to my lower back, down > > to my toes. > > > > I've been given the impression by a few docs that all this would go > > away if I get my hip done. My fear is that they won't. I'd check > > into a hospital tomorrow if this was certain. Was wondering what you > > all thought. > > > > I was scheduled to have a THR this May until, thank God, I came > > across this website. > > > > I have tried some heel lifts, but can't say that it helped. I don't > > know if they were fitted correctly. Anyway, I would appreciate any > > and all advice. > > > > Thanks, > > Harriet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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