Degeneration rate

[JMACCA]

Hi everyone,

I am sure this is another annoying noob question but I was wondering how quickly hips can degenerate from OA? In April last year, I had the x-ray below taken. I think everything looks good. LOL - what would I know...I certainly can't read x-rays.

I am getting my second x-ray done later this week and since April, the pain has increased significantly to what it was back in April. Which leads me to the question, how rapidly can hips get worse? What causes the pain to get worse over a short period of time?

Interested in your thoughts...

 

[Jamie]

I'm going to tag our forum nurse, @Josephine, who is a whiz at reading xrays so she can comment on yours.

Things can go downhill fairly fast sometimes which is why we advise folks not to mess with bad hips. It's best to get them fixed because IF they get bad enough, the pain can be quite unbearable. You don't want that to happen.

 

[dandy_candi]

I try and look at my X-rays and compare the difference but I really can't tell. I think there might be a slight change over the last 12 months but my surgeon looked at my X-rays and in two seconds said that there was significant joint space narrowing and enough for him to do surgery if I am requesting it, so I trust him. Because I have an inflammatory disease I think that my pain goes up and down with levels of inflammation but there is clearly degeneration.

Hubby had built me a step to get over our stupid spa bath that has the shower in our ensuite but that still was a trip hazard and I was still in pain using it so have moved to the shower at the other side of the house (shared with my brother in law who lives with us). Can't wait to use my ensuite shower again!!


Candice, 28 yo. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Australia. Sequential unilateral THR June 1st 2016 and July 13th 2016

 

[Miss Muffet]

@dandy_candi and @JMACCA - I've got my x-rays from May last year and a few weeks ago. The surgeon said both hips had both deteriorated markedly in that space of time too. He made the point that they happen to be the same age so I shouldn't necessarily be surprised (good point) I have no idea why they go downhill so rapidly, but I am definately noticing that if I look back at dates and events over the past year (and what I could and couldn't cope with) they are SO much more painful and getting worse.

 

[Hip Hip Hooray!]

Yeah, it seems to snowball. It's strange. My father commented on how quickly mine deteriorated. (He only sees me a couple of times a year.)

 

[Jaycey]

how rapidly can hips get worse? What causes the pain to get worse over a short period of time?

They can go from tolerable to horrid in a very short space of time.

I limped around with what was diagnosed as back pain for about 3 years. One day I got out of bed and could hardly move! Walking was SO painful. Tried to "exercise" it away and that (of course) made it worse. GP ordered an x-ray and I knew I was in trouble when the technician asked me if I needed help getting to my car! My hip had collapsed.

Many members limp around for quite awhile pre-op. But when the cartilage is gone and you start getting that bone on bone pain life becomes very difficult. When my right hip started complaining I ran to the surgeon. That recovery was so much easier.

 

[Toddlermom]

Ouch!!! I assume your right hip really hurts!!!! The doctor drew all over my X-ray to explain it.... Your right hip looks like a bumpy and painful one!

 

[JMACCA]

WOW thank you so much for answering @Jamie, @dandy_candi, @Miss Muffet, @Hip Hip Hooray!, and @Jaycey - I find this really topic really fascinating!

Thank your for posting your 'progression' x-rays @Miss Muffet - they were really amazing to look at...

Things can go downhill fairly fast sometimes

They can go from tolerable to horrid in a very short space of time.

It seems amazing that this can happen - especially when you cope with it for a lengthy period of time and then all of a sudden POW! week by week, day by day it can get significantly worse in a short period of time.

Hubby had built me a step to get over our stupid spa bath that has the shower in our ensuite

Ugh - I had one of those a few years back and even when my hips werent too bad I struggled - I totally understand why you would change showers!

I knew I was in trouble when the technician asked me if I needed help getting to my car! My hip had collapsed.

WOW! What does a collapsed hip feel like @Jaycey?! I can't imagine the pain you were going through!

 

[JMACCA]

Your right hip looks like a bumpy and painful one!

Hi @Toddlermom - yes that is the one that gives me 'curry' constantly - I will be interested to have a look at my left after my x-ray on Saturday, because the pain in that one is now just as bad. At least it is not 'bone on bone' yet!

Thanks for replying! I hope you are feeling excited to wake up a new woman!

 

[ccarol]

That's a good question, I wish I knew why hips deteriorated so quickly. I'm glad I started the hip replacement process when I did because I am in so much more pain now than I was just back in July.

I was diagnosed with OA in 2001 and I remained fairly pain free just with physical therapy, weight loss, taking certain precautions when exercising and occasional pain meds. Over the years I could tell that things were getting worse but very slowly and my quality of life was minimally impacted. Then in 2015, less than a year ago, the pain started getting exponentially worse. Between July and now I have had to stop all forms of exercise even short walks, stairs and most sex positions (hey, it's exercise!) I can't walk normally or without a limp and I was taking pain meds everyday. I can't even imagine the pain I would be in just a few short months from now.

 

[JMACCA]

@ccarol - similar timeframe to me - 2015 to now is atrocious however - soon...in a few days...hopefully you will be feeling SO much better!

 

[ccarol]

@JMACCA thanks! I hope you get relief soon too. I'm so glad I found this forum, so many things the doctors don't tell you or isn't explained in articles. I felt that I was abnormal being "so young" to be getting a hip replacement (so many people have said it, I'm tired of hearing it) and feeling I must be doing something wrong to injure my hip so quickly in the past year. After reading this forum for a couple of days, I realize that my experience is totally normal.

 

[JMACCA]

After reading this forum for a couple of days, I realize that my experience is totally normal.

And I think that is what makes this forum so great! Knowing we are not crazy is awesome LOL

 

[Jaycey]

What does a collapsed hip feel like Jaycey?!

Totally debilitating. What was supposed to be a ball shape on the femoral head was egg shaped and it had slipped out of the socket slightly. There was no cartilage left so all bone on bone with every step. So much clicking and popping it sounded like gears changing.

This is why I always urge members to get their hips done if they are diagnosed. Better quickly than limping around and causing more damage.

 

[Josephine]

Which leads me to the question, how rapidly can hips get worse?

That's a bit of a "how long is a piece of string" question! I've known people with arthritic joints who remained in a mild or moderately painful state for years. On the other hand, I've also known those who appeared to go from normal to wheelchair within a matter of months. But it's quite likely they had early undiagnosed arthritis for some time before anyway. As we say so often on here - there's no specific pattern, every one is different!

What causes the pain to get worse over a short period of time?

This might be about a knee but it's equally applicable to a hip. I had barely any ongoing pain in my knee, just what I refer to as a 'stone in the shoe' pain which came and went erratically. Sometimes it lasted for an hour, sometimes for a week but I knew what caused it so let me share that with you.

Arthritis has the effect of making our joints crumble like an old concrete step.

It breaks down, creating lots of grit and debris. Generally this stays in the pouches at the side of the joint but every so often, a bit gets into the weight bearing part of the joint and then we get that extreme pain and can't bear weight on the leg at all! Pain killers do nothing, nor do things like braces. We are just conscious of this horrible burning pain that all of a sudden goes away!

In hips, you also have the fact that a nice round smooth ball in a nice hemispherical cup goes from that to a rough, knobbly surface and then it's like every step is working it over a cheese grater.

It's every bit as disabling as the constant bone-on-bone pain so many others suffer and is a very good indicator that a joint replacement is needed.

To assess your need for replacement, print off the form in this link, read the instructions and fill it in
Score chart: how bad is my arthritic hip/knee

 

[JMACCA]

Thank you @Josephine for your thoughtful reply!

Arthritis has the effect of making our joints crumble like an old concrete step

This is a fabulous analogy...

nice hemispherical cup goes from that to a rough, knobbly surface and then it's like every step is working it over a cheese grater.

It's every bit as disabling as the constant bone-on-bone pain so many others suffer and is a very good indicator that a joint replacement is needed.

Again - an awesome analogy - this is exactly what it feels like!

Thank you again!

 

[Josephine]

Ever get the feeling that I'm part of the 'been there, done that' brigade?

 

[JMACCA]

I certainly did get that impression @Josephine however it does take skill to be able to simply explain complex body 'stuff' to non-medical people