[ORIF] Emergency Femur Surgery on 3 Year Old THR

[Ruth123]

The PT is helping, poco a poco.

The therapist is young and the staff and owner are excited to have this challenge. None have dealt with a broken femur with a hip implant. The owner of the company called our surgeon to agree on PT plan while still no weight-bearing.

This morning DH was able to put almost his entire foot flat on the floor from a sitting position....not a 90% angle at the knee, but still way better than his foot floating 10 inches off of the floor as it has for a few weeks.

The therapist goes slow, asks pain level constantly. He speaks little English but we understand each other thru most of sessions. He and we use a phone voice translator when necessary.

I've moved from sympathetic comfort/holiday foods back to our more routine diet of grilled seafood and fresh veg. Too much pasta, papas and pizza this past week. Added a few vitamins, calcium supplements.

DH remains fatigued from the surgery though he is done with the brain fog he had for a few days post surgery. He is doing less wobbly transfers from recliner to transfer chair to toilet.

He took a nap yesterday in our bed. His hesitation in moving his nights from recliner to bed is dealing with the urinal. At age 73 he has a few bathroom calls each night. In the recliner he can sit up with the urinal, but our bed is a typical flat mattress and he thinks it'll be more difficult to position the urinal as he has to sleep on his back for the time being.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Well does sound like he's doing better. As nice as a recliner is to sleep nothing quite like your comfy bed that's for sure.
Continued healing & keep posting & letting us know how you are both doing. It's not easy on the caretaker.

 

[Ruth123]

Update, of sorts.

Not much to say. It's hard to gauge progress for a non-weight bearing initial recovery from ORIF.

With both of our hip replacements we could measure recovery by the ability to walk a bit more as time went on. His doctor's orders are NO weight bearing....and my husband hasn't, so I guess that's progress??

The biggest improvement is his energy level. At exactly the 3 week mark from surgery date; he's picked up speed with everything he does, and he's doing so much more.

He is much more active in his wheeled transfer chair' I no longer push him, he motivates with his good foot, and finds going backwards is faster, easier. No more potty chair, he navigates to his bathroom toilet solo. He can change his own clothes in the recliner or bed. Sleeping in our own bed and laying flat has helped his REM sleep...not so much awakening as was evident in the recliner. He no longer brushes his teeth in the LR! And he's playing his guitars!

I am still dreading getting him to the surgeon on the 22nd....though he does have more flex in his knee despite residual swelling.

Vamos a ver!

Attached are scars and post-surgery x-ray.

 

[benne68]

Glad to read that he is doing better, @Ruth123.

The amount of hardware is incredible. How long will he be non-weight bearing? Is it the usual 6 weeks? If so, he is halfway there!

Please keep us posted.

 

[myglasshalffull]

Sounds like baby steps but you are seeing improvement in his energy level & mastering his wheel chair getting around the house.
Those pics are amazing. That's a lot of hardware in his leg...wow.
Continued improvement is our wish for both of you!

 

[Ruth123]

One month post surgery visit with surgeon and x-rays today.

Bone and internal bracing look good and surgeon is pleased with how straight the femur is healing.

Put him on 30% weight-bearing on operated leg. When he had my husband try it in the office, the surgeon held his hand under the foot so he could say 'when' it was at 30%.

Having been off that leg for a month, my husband said his calf muscles are weak and he knows they need more PT now that he can use it more. The surgeon also wants more emphasis on the knee which remains slightly swollen.

The surgeon wrote a lengthy note for us to give to the PT on Friday. We will continue 3x a week hour long sessions.
He goes back to Dr. in a month.

 

[Ruth123]

Today was the 2 month checkup and x-rays.

Surgeon is pleased; the bone growth makes the break barely visible in parts and healing well in other parts (it was a long 6 inch vertical break). The metal brace and all the screws are tight and in good alignment.

His knee is still slightly swelled and not a lot of bend to it (but far better than 2 months ago). Surgeon wrote out note for the PT specifying some knee exercises. And to allow 70% weight bearing.

Dr. expects my husband to be using a cane in 30 days when he arrives at his 3 month review. In January he came to appointment in a wheelchair; today he came with a walker. He looks forward to walking with a cane by the end of the next 4 weeks.

As the surgeon said today, "It's an injury that happens in a matter of seconds, but takes months to recover from."

 

[myglasshalffull]

Great update, your husband is doing so well.
Looking forward to the 3 month progress report. It's fantastic going from wheelchair to walker & soon the cane.

 

[Ruth123]

Three month check up a few days ago. Bone looks good, knee swelling better but still stiff.

Surgeon cleared him to start no-assistance walking. Suggested he start by going from BR to BA carrying a cane, but not putting it down unless needed for balance. And walking in kitchen cane-less when doing meal prep, going to fridge, etc.

Advised him to use cane lightly (and walker too). He said it will take some time to recover a normal gait and that the light use of walker is a better aid than the cane in achieving a non-limping gait, which he currently has, most likely due to knee swelling.

Worst case scenario is that one or more screws at bottom of the steel plate near top of his knee may need to be removed. But surgeon said too soon to expect that.....give it 6 months from now and revisit.

He has no pain in thigh or hip and describes his knee as feeling tight, not high pain, but uncomfortable especially after waking with no assistance for more than 5 minutes (though he only started this on Wed. and today's Saturday). Mostly using cane with only a few pounds of weight-bearing taken off the leg, but for now he needs that small assistance for any sort of distance and speed (normal walking speed).

Doctor said to come see him for another x-ray in 2 or 3 months, earlier if he has any issues.

We are hoping to be able to travel soon; the flights themselves aren't a concern (we fly biz class), but the long walks thru airports are. He would like to wait another month to see if he can do it without needing a wheelchair between flights. Partly vanity, partly that wheelchairs are last off the plane and we have a tight connection at our first US airport. If we move flight to longer connection it turns into a 9 hour ordeal vs. a 5 hour trek.