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Hip Arthroscopy Activitygirl's Recovery Thread

Activitygirl

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I had Laproscopic surgery on March 8th to repair torn labrum in left hip as well as gluteus medius tear ( complete tear) repair, FI. Bone spur shaved. Recovery has been long and slow. 6 weeks of toe touch weight bearing on crutches. PT for 11 weeks. Also did exercises at home. : clam shells, resistance band side steps and pelvic lifts. Squats, stationary bike 15 minutes a day. Surgery was 3 months ago.Having a tight pinching sensation in upper thigh near groin. I know it will take up to 6 months before I am completely healed. Concerned about scar tissue build up. Therapist said healing well. I see ortho later this week for follow up.
 
Hello @Activitygirl - and :welome:

I've moved you post from another thread and used it to start a recovery thread for you.

On BoneSmart, each person has their own recovery thread, where they post about progress and we offer advice, if necessary.

Please post any updates or questions about your recovery in this, which is your own thread. We will see them there, as someone checks all the new posts every day.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.
Tagging other members and answering tags

If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.

Just in case you couldn't find your thread, here are the instructions on finding your thread,
How can I find my threads and posts .

A helpful hint - Many members have found it useful to bookmark their thread so they don't lose it.

Best wishes,
Celle
 
I'm afraid that recovery from a surgery such as yours is often slow and tedious. It's worth being patient, though, as it helps you to have a good result in the end.

I'll give you the recovery guidelines for a hip replacement, as most of the advice also applies to your surgery.

Do be careful not to do too much PT - hips don't need a lot.

And don't worry about a build up of scar tissue. You need some scar tissue, as it's a normal part of recovery - and the bad scar tissue everyone warns you about is much more rare than they imply.

Hip Recovery: The Guidelines

People are all different, as are the approaches to this recovery and rehab. The key is, “Find what works for YOU.“ Your doctor(s), physiotherapist(s) and BoneSmart are here to help, but YOU are the final judge as to the recovery approach you choose.

1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary.

2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​

3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of these

5. Try to follow this

6. Access these pages on the website


Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in the majority of BoneSmart’s forums, we ask that each member have only One Recovery Thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review the member’s history before providing advice, so please post any updates or questions you have right here in this thread.
 
Latest health update. Had the arthroscopic repair done in left hip March 2021 for Full thickness tear gluteus medius, torn labrum as well as bone spur shaving on head of femur. Slow recovery thought I was doing better until last fall when hip pain came back.
Another trip to Ortho. Doc said bursitis. Ok the bursa was removed during my last surgery. Gave my another cortisone injection. No help.
Next MRI showed a partial thickness tear in gluteus medius , labrum tear. DJD in hip as well as some arthritis. Ok didn,t I have surgery to repair the torn muscles already. . Said I needed to have a THR. Um no!
I went for a PRP injection in the left hip. Worked for about 3 1/2 months.
Then the hip pain returned on and off. Mostly early in am . Having a second PRP injection in left hip in January.
Has anyone found this to prolong hip replacement?
 
@Activitygirl I don’t know if it has been yet proven one way or another if PRP injections prolong time to THR. Did your report say to what level your DJD had progressed (e.g. mild, advanced, severe?) In conjunction with this, your symptoms and limitations would have some bearing on recommendations for THR as this condition is a progressive one.

As to your other concerns, tendon repair is not the almost fool proof procedure that THR is. THR success rates are in the 90s percentiles whereas tendon repairs are at best 75%. They fail fairly frequently. At least that’s what my OS made very clear to me. There are so many more factors that affect their outcomes. So for you to have a partial tear now in the same tendon didn’t surprise me. It’s a possibility that I could also face at some point. The relief that I got was worth that risk. My understanding is that the bursa can grow back and can cause bursitis again.

There were other things found on my MRI that the docs made note of including labels tears. The torn tendons were causing me the most distress, so that is what they concentrated on. Everything else could be dealt with at a later date including with a possible THR depending on their progress. This is due in part to the current history of diminishing returns with arthroscopic procedures as we age. I guess time will tell. It makes me hopeful for future improved solutions but I’m used to slow progress in the medical field. We certainly want proven track records for safety and the best outcomes. For me: I need insurance to cover it, as well.

I wish you the best going forward. You always have a sympathetic ear here if you need it.
 
I'm sorry you're going through this!

Sadly, one can have a muscle tear repaired and have it tear again. It's also possible for any given MRI to be less than fully accurate (as has happened to me a couple of times when MRIs were followed by arthroscopies).

PRP sometimes doesn't achieve its full benefit for 6 - 8 weeks and if it provided relief once, yes, it's worth trying a second time. Research shows it is often beneficial for soft tissue healing, and it's clear you've had and likely still have soft tissue issues with that hip.

If your x-rays show bone on bone osteoarthritis, the research is less clear on the effectiveness of PRP. It may offer enough pain relief to buy to time to plan for a THR.

A possible downside is that if it's doing a good job of relieving soft tissue pain it might keep you active enough to accelerate the osteoarthritis, further destabilizing the joint.

So for me the main questions are: How severe is the osteoarthritis? If it actually warrants a THR, what benefit do you personally see in delaying it (no judgement!!! Each of us has life issues and values that are valid and often need to take priority)?
 
Thanks for the insight. Wish I had known about the failure rate for the muscle and tendon repair. I am not sure about the success rate of PRP injections either although it did give me relief for about 3 1/2 months.
The DJD is mild right now. I do yoga daily (with modifications for my hips).for my fibromyalgia which helps with that pain. There are so many restrictions after THR that I am afraid will end my yoga practice.
 
Hello there

I had a hip arthroscopy in Sept 2023 for a torn labrum and hip impingement due to mild hip dysplasia and then ended up having a THR in Nov 2024 - last Monday actually (11th November).

I developed psoas bursitis 4 months after the arthroscopy and had to have 10 ml of synovial fluid drained and they also gave me a cortisone injection.

Nothing really helped with my pain (more a constant dull ache) and when I had scans done in Oct 2024 it revealed arthritis so I decided to have a hip replacement.

At the end the arthritis is what was causing most of my issues because when you have no cartilage left in your joint it creates all sorts of problems for the rest of your body. My spine was actually curving to the left as my body was trying to compensate for my compromised hip.

I am definitely not an expert with this stuff but you might find that the core of your issue is the arthritis and nothing will fix it without a replacement unfortunately.

My hip replacement was the bikini approach and I was off crutches and driving in a week. I still have swelling and pain but honestly in a few weeks I know I will be really good.

Don't be afraid.

Good luck.

Morgan
 
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@Activitygirl - I tend to favor moving quickly to joint replacement when there's bone on bone, which is moderate to severe osteoarthritis.

Having "mild" osteoarthritis while there are obvious soft tissue reasons for your pain is a different situation. In your place I would probably opt for a second injection and then a repeat series of x-rays after a few months to check on the progression of the arthritis.

(Full disclosure: I had tried two different series of injections in my knee for a very problematic soft tissue issue, plus arthroscopy. When the knee remained unstable it was definitely time for a replacement. So my path to my first TKR was similar to your hip)
 
Went for another MRI of my left hip yesterday post PRP done on 7/10/24.
Arthritis is improved as well as labrum tear. MRI shows mild trochanter bursitis as well as partial thickness tear in gluteus minimus.
Pain is about 4-6 on on ocassion in left glute. Scheduled for my 2nd PRP injection on Jan. 22. 2025.
 
Tell me how they got arthritis to improve, I could use some of that!
Sounds like you fear THR, also sounds like it's inevitable so why the fear? I'm still looking for the restrictions after THR, I had some for 6 weeks, couldn't find any others aside form don't so anything stupid and don't fall. I've violated those, usually on a weekly basis. I do some Yoga, should do more. Most of my tests of my THR are done on a ladder or roof like I did yesterday.
 
Thanks for the insight. Wish I had known about the failure rate for the muscle and tendon repair. I am not sure about the success rate of PRP injections either although it did give me relief for about 3 1/2 months.
The DJD is mild right now. I do yoga daily (with modifications for my hips).for my fibromyalgia which helps with that pain. There are so many restrictions after THR that I am afraid will end my yoga practice.

Hi @Activitygirl,

I feel your pain in regards to the hip scopes. My left hip healed beautifully after my surgery in July of 22 (FAI and labrum repair). My right hip unfortunately has been a much, much longer struggle—FAI and labrum repair in June of 2023 and psoas release, labrum debridement, and revision pincer osteotomy in October of 2024. It’s been a ride!

I can’t speak for any of the hippies on this forum but I’ve heard (only heard!) through my physical therapy friends that a hip replacement is a much “easier” recovery than a hip arthroscopy. I went down the scope path because of my age and because luckily, I didn’t have any arthritis in my hips. Recovery from each surgery has been BRUTAL, but I FINALLY feel like we’re moving upwards, as opposed to sliding downhill.

I will also say that I practiced yoga regularly before my surgeries. I’ve taken a few classes in between surgeries, but don’t feel quite ready to practice again. I know plenty of people who have maintained an active yoga practice post hip replacement.

Personally, I think my yoga practice will look mildly different when I finally decide to return. Essentially, no more forcing my hips into certain poses for extra mobility or rotation. I understand the limits in how my hips move and at this point, I just want to get back on the mat, regardless of what that looks like. Maybe your perspective is different.

I am curious with how many PRP injections one can get. I don’t know much about the therapy, but I’ve heard it can be very helpful. If at some point, PRP isn’t effective would you consider a replacement or what does your surgeon recommend?

If there is bursitis and a tear, your body is probably experiencing an imbalance. Is there a reputable hip physio you can seek out to evaluate your case? Gait, strength, posture, imbalances, etc?

All just my thoughts. Wishing you the best on your journey.
 
My last MRI showed healing of torn labrum and cartilage . Still have partial thickness tear of gluteus minimus as well as trocanter bursitis.
Going for my 2nd PRP injection on Jab.22nd 2025.
My reasons for not having THR are. : I will not be able to do my daily yoga practice because so many of the poses are prohibited after THR- yoga helps my fibromyalgia pain. I have had multiple surgeries already in my life.
Recovery/ down time after THR. I have read too many stories of people still having gluteal tears after THR ,so why would I put myself through that?
Hip arthritis is mild.
 
Hi @Sammy-Am

My THR was much (much much) harder to recover from compared to my hip arthroscopy but everyone is different. My THR was also harder to recover from compared to my total hysterectomy (had one of those too). Everyone is different though. At just over 5 weeks I am still somewhat limited with flexibility and my leg aches if I walk too much and I wish I didn't still need pain meds but unfortunately I do.
 
My last MRI showed healing of torn labrum and cartilage . Still have partial thickness tear of gluteus minimus as well as trocanter bursitis.
Going for my 2nd PRP injection on Jab.22nd 2025.
My reasons for not having THR are. : I will not be able to do my daily yoga practice because so many of the poses are prohibited after THR- yoga helps my fibromyalgia pain. I have had multiple surgeries already in my life.
Recovery/ down time after THR. I have read too many stories of people still having gluteal tears after THR ,so why would I put myself through that?
Hip arthritis is mild.
I agree that with mild arthritis there's no reason to rush into surgery.
Hopefully your various soft tissue problems will respond to treatment and not recur.
 
Went for my 2nd PRP injection in left hip on 1/22. Dr. concentrated more on relieving trochanter bursitis pain as well as partial thickness tear in left gluteus medius. Procedure hurt like hell! I used a walker the first day then switched to a cane for the next two days. Some pain for the first two days post procedure. Today have no pain, muscle feels tight. Going to start walking short distances tomorrow and build up to a mile a day walking.
Fingers crossed for long lasting pain relief.
 
:fingersx: I have mine crossed for you too.
May it only get better! Keep us posted.
@Activitygirl
 
2 weeks post PRP in my left hip. Starting to walk 1/2 mile a day. Beginning at home PT stretches to loosen up tight muscles without over doing it.
Minimal discomfort .
 
Sounds like you're doing well and things are moving right along, Activitygirl!
Thanks for the update. Keep up the good work!
@Activitygirl
 
So I have been doing some research on THR , I have read several incidents of people having gluteal tears after having THR. My main cause of pain right now is a partial thickness tear the gluteus minimus. I had repair surgery four years ago for a complete tear of this muscle. Rehab and crutches were so long! Can,t justify THR if I will have to go through this surgery again following THR.
 
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