25 yr old Male Dancer with Hip Issues

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Ben28

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Hey,
My name is Ben from Australia and I'm new to the forum.
As the title says I'm 25 and I'm a dancer. It is essentially my lifeblood, I've been doing it since I was 8 years old and I love every second of it. Mostly.
When I was 16, I developed hip pain. Ranging from low, to excrutiating where I'd have to use the wall to hold myself up. Needless to say this sucked beyond belief.

The next few years are a blur of x-rays, MRI's, bone scans, and doctors having no idea what was wrong. I found a doctor (who has since gone on to open his own practice) who upon many examinations and tests, concluded that the femoral head in my left hip was degenerated due to lack of blood flow to that area. He offered temporary surgery options to which myself and my parents ultimately decided against. He also concluded that somewhere down the line I'd eventually need a hip replacement and advised me to stop dancing for now. Not the thing you wanna hear as a dancer.

So I reluctantly took a break. I had a huge 5 year absence from dancing. In that time my hip pain settled down dramatically and after an xray, it was concluded that it was not getting any better, but was not getting any worst.
I started dancing again when I was 22 and have been up to this point. A solid almost 4 years. But my left side flexibility is stubborn and stagnant. no matter how far i try to stretch - it's like pushing against a brick wall. I still get a bit of hip pain when I've been working hard. Sometimes to the point where I may limp a little. I don't feel like it's degenerated any further in that past 9 or so years. It essentially feels the way it always has been. And my right hip is fantastic and has never showed any signs of degeneration. I want to look into getting a hip resurfacing and not a THR. I know this is very common among athletes and being taken in my prime from the thing I love, has only motivated me to get it fixed. I'm not ready to quit the sport I love with all my heart, and that is my biggest concern - "will I be able to dance again if I get a resurfacing? will my range of motion in my left side return? I can't even cross my legs sitting down, my left knee sits perched up and it's ridiculous. not to mention my splits, or any hope a decent split for that matter, basically i can't open my hip up on the left side past around about 45 degrees maybe a little further.
* Has anyone coming from an athletic background had a resurfacing?
Please share your experience.
I'm terrified of what happens next. Should I go see the doctor and just get as much info as I can???
 
Hi, Ben....welcome to BoneSmart! It sounds like you are ready to start gathering information so that you can make a decision that will enable you to get back to the things you love. Good for you!

First of all, let me reassure you that it is possible to go back to dancing after either a resurfacing or a full hip replacement. We have had a number of BoneSmarties do just that. Here is one thread you might enjoy reading:

Shugaplum at Four Months

I also suggest that you do some reading in our BoneSmart Library. The pre and post op threads are helpful along with this general information section

Stories of Amazing Hip Recoveries

Please don't be afraid!!! As you gain more and more information, you'll become more confident that surgery is a good thing.

It does sound like it's time for you to begin searching for a good hip surgeon also. You want someone who routinely works with younger patients. That's important, because unfortunately there are still some surgeons out there who will tell you you're too young for surgery and that you need to wait. If you hear that, smile politely and find another doctor!!!

Please let us know how you're getting along. We're here for you.
 
Welcome to BoneSmart Ben. I would like you to start with reading a thread in the Library. Another dancer the same age as you has been a real inspiration on this site. In fact she just checked in last week and asked about having a family.

4 months pics THR by shugaplum.

We have had several dancers here and all have gone back to doing what they love to do.

Check out shuga's thread and others in the Library. Then please come back and ask any questions you might have. We are here to help you through this journey. Welcome!
 
Oh dear - great minds think alike - Jamie and I have just posted the same thing at the same time. :th_heehee:
 
:hysterical: Ha!!! Jaycey.....you and I were posting at the same time! Great minds think alike, huh!!!
 
Hi Ben,

I can't answer your questions but I CAN offer you a warm welcome to BoneSmarties!

Marty
 
Hi Ben,

I'm new here myself. I'm sorry I have no knowledge of resurfacing, but I can tell you there is a wealth of info. on this forum. I've been reading the library posts and have learned a great deal. Everyone here is very supportive and helpful. Welcome!
 
My worry would be doing the Okey Cokey, putting the left leg in , and not being able to get it out again :biggrin:
 
Hello and welcome to BoneSmart Ben,

You've had a tough journey, wish i could offer more advice on the medical side, sorry. Hopefully you can find a reputable surgeon that can offer options for you. Plus after reading the other dancers posts it will be a inspiration you an get help and get back on track to doing what you love.

All the best,

Sarah
 
my advice is to go for the THR - if you dont' you will end up w/ one most likely anyway at a relatively young age...I still run and I've had a lot of surgery...read,read, read :)
xoxo,
Linda.
 
Should I go see the doctor and just get as much info as I can???

Yes, yes, yes. If possible, try to look for a doctor who has experience working with dancers and other athletes. You want someone who understands that dancing is important to you and that you want to be able to continue dancing after any procedure you might have.

If you look at Shugaplum's story as linked by Jaycey and Jamie, you'll see that she was able to do a standing split and a straddle split just months after her hip replacement. You stand a very good chance of getting your flexibility back.

I also recommend going to the website DancerHips, where lots of dancers have detailed their successful hip replacements and hip resurfacings.
 
Welcome to the Bonesmart family Ben.

As you can see I am also from Australia.

My advice is to definitely seek out as much information as you can about surgeons in your area.

I am assuming you live in one of the capital cities?
 
Ben hi and welcome to BoneSmart. Boy, we have some similarities with our hips. I broke my left hip when I was 18 and it never healed properly and had degenerated femoral head due to poor blood supply (aka AVS). I made it through my 20's and 30's managing to avoid surgery. However, your description of what you are going through now with your intermittent hip pain and lack of ROM is eerily similar!

I did not have hip resurfacing so I cannot answer your questions about your recovery with respect to how much you will be able to do post-surgery. My advice is find the best surgeon you can and give him or her this information so they can make an informed decision as to how to treat and help you. You may or may not be able to go back to dancing pre-hip issues era. However, in all likelihood, I would imagine you are modifying your dance to adapt to your current physical situation. If you can modify/compromise now, a little compromise after the surgery may not be as big a deal as you think. This is best to discuss with your OS.

As for the nervousness about the unknown, again, I can completely relate. Whether you opt for a THR, resurfacing, or some other technique, it is major surgery. The nerves are normal! That said, now that I am on the other side, I am very happy I had my surgery and the whole experience has been very positive so far. I do not know what the future holds for you, but given my experience and what you have described, I suspect your hip will continue to degenerate and you will know when you are ready to act.

Best of luck to you and keep your questions and progress coming here. You'll find we BoneSmarties love to discuss hips!

Lou
 
Welcome to the Bonesmart family Ben.

As you can see I am also from Australia.

My advice is to definitely seek out as much information as you can about surgeons in your area.

I am assuming you live in one of the capital cities?

Indeed, I live in Sydney...
 
Hi Ben

I am not in Sydney, but have quite a few friends who have travelled to Sydney to surgeons, with very good results. I will endeavor to get some names for you and then you may like to research them and contact them.

Stay posted, and I will get back to you.
 
Hi Ben

I am not in Sydney, but have quite a few friends who have travelled to Sydney to surgeons, with very good results. I will endeavor to get some names for you and then you may like to research them and contact them.

Stay posted, and I will get back to you.

Cool, thanks heaps.
 
Did you look at the links given you in previous posts?
There was one about Wayne Sleep's THR. You have got to look at that!

And DancerHips - you can't beat such support!
 
Yeah I've been following stories on DancerHips for a long time now. It's a very good site I check out often.
 
Hi Ben, I'm 37, big into sports, especially running.

Not an expert, but I would go for a hip resurfacing with a doctor recognized as one of the best in the world with a few thousand resurfacings under his belt. Consider Derek McMinn who invented modern resurfacing who has a 98% success rate at close to 15 years with younger males. Many believe the resurfacing device preserves more of the natural capabilities of the hip, does not have stress shielding on impact, and allows more sporting activity, although I'm not sure there is yet the data to prove this.

Although always learning, I favour a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing because the device is supported by a great deal of favourable stats in the right hands, and after all, one can always get a THR if it fails. But you can never get that bone back once one has a THR.

Just my 0.2 cents. Certainly it would seem the majority of people with THRs never have a problem doing the activities they choose anyway.
 
Hi Ben, I'm 37, big into sports, especially running.

Not an expert, but I would go for a hip resurfacing with a doctor recognized as one of the best in the world with a few thousand resurfacings under his belt. Consider Derek McMinn who invented modern resurfacing who has a 98% success rate at close to 15 years with younger males. Many believe the resurfacing device preserves more of the natural capabilities of the hip, does not have stress shielding on impact, and allows more sporting activity, although I'm not sure there is yet the data to prove this.

Although always learning, I favour a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing because the device is supported by a great deal of favourable stats in the right hands, and after all, one can always get a THR if it fails. But you can never get that bone back once one has a THR.

Just my 0.2 cents. Certainly it would seem the majority of people with THRs never have a problem doing the activities they choose anyway.

Thankyou for your input. It's very helpful....
 
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