THR Discomfort in hip replaced in 2015

[Blessed one]

Hello! This issue has been ongoing for about 2 years but I had to put it on the back-burner since I had a knee replacement in 2021. My surgeon said that the issue is a hip impingement. The tendon will need to be moved since he believes that it is rubbing across the hip.
I was informed that the outcome may be that my leg may not be as strong after the procedure. I am in the process of getting a second opinion. Has anyone experienced this health issue?

Thank you for your time!

 

[Jaycey]

@Blessed one I think my colleague @Hip4life had a similar issue. I've tagged her so that she will see your post.

Definitely do get a second opinion!

 

[Blessed one]

Thank you Jaycey! Your response is most helpful, especially tagging your colleague.

 

[Butterfly77]

Hi. I had my new hip in July 2021. It has been a long long road for me. Bursitis and illipsoas impingement/tendonitis was diagnosed. The first approach has been an injection into the bursa which doing the inflammation in that area (side of hip) down a bit. Then physio involving a lot of stretching exercises as they believed my illiopsoas tendon was tight and causing an impingement and sharp pain down my leg from the groin. It was on and off with the pain and tended to get a week or two when is was prevalent and then a week or two when it wasn’t. I have persevered and pleased to report I have been good for the last month or so. Really hoping I have conquered this now. Not sure if they have suggested physio as a first approach for you before the surgery?

 

[Zorro]

Hello Blessed One (and may you continue to be blessed)

You are concerned about one leg being less strong than the other one with a corrective procedure.

I consider my RTHR to be a raging success. But my right leg only has (in my estimation) 95% of the range of motion and strength of the left (non-surgical) leg. This is entirely acceptable to me. When I do yoga I can tell the difference, but it does not slow me down or diminish the experience at all.

As I said, may you continue to be blessed! Your friend, Zorro

 

[Hip4life]

Hello @Blessed one Sorry for the delay in response. Yes, I had impingement of my iliopsoas on my prosthesis. There was a slight overhang that was visible on xray. I had been doing an at home program of hip flexor (iliopsoas) stretches since shortly after surgery without improvement to my groin pain. An injection into the tendon both confirmed the diagnosis of tendonitis and gave me two weeks of relief. Since the relief was so short lived, we decided to proceed with surgery.

It sounds like you have already arrived at surgery for a solution. Mine was a complete release from the greater trochanter, arthroscopically. Another more common surgery is a partial release that lengthens the tendon by cutting some of its fibers. Afterward, my groin pain was gone and the recovery was fairly quick (my surgery was on a Tuesday and my doc said I could go back to work on Monday. I took another week and a half. Lol) I felt like my strength and range of motion took another 2-3 months to come back fully especially since other muscles had to take over the IP muscles’s job. Just as my OS had told me pre-surgery: I feel my hip/leg strength is unaffected by the tendon surgery. I have just a small decrease in range of motion (but can’t tell if that is THR or the tendon surgery, to be honest.) It doesn’t limit me at all and I am back to my pre THR active lifestyle. There may be a longer recovery for the partial release as it heals. That info would come from your OS. No one can guarantee everything, but I would do it all again without hesitation.

I cannot speak directly to the success of a partial release but I am aware of someone who had it and it has worked well for them. Let me know if I can help further. Please keep us posted in your decision making process. Blessings as you move forward.