[Closed] hip replacement/riding afterwards

I had my hip (full replacement) done 3 1/2 years ago. I was out of hospital 30hrs after walking in. Out and about within a couple of weeks, I had the operation in late November so a lot was weather dependent. Was on the turbo after six weeks, could probably have started sooner but my wife I insisted that I wait until the surgeon gave the go-ahead. That took me to early/mid January. Once there wasn't a risk of frost/ice I began doing easy road rides on the flat - basically going up and down upper Wharfedale. Built up from there. Ended up doing over 10,000Km that year.

I'm quite happy with multi-day ITT rides so you could say it's been a success. If the other hip started playing up and they suggested it needed being replaced then I'd sign the forms there and then.

that all sounds promising mate. getting over the ankle has been a bastard. hopefully the hip will prove easier.

cheers

I broke my hip and had it pinned (at 35) - recovery was about 3-6 months with some longer term stretching etc to get full strength. I was told that a replacement is actually a lot less intrusive in terms of the operation size and the healing time is quicker as there's no broken bones to knit.

I have to admit that I was a bit shocked when the surgeon said "You'll be home within a day of the op" - I think it's because you are used to the potential infections at home rather than the novel ones you'd be exposed to in hospital plus being home will always make you feel like you are on the mend. Our 80yr old neighbour had her hip done and was back home in three days.

Anyway - YGM.

My Mum has had two full hip replacements in her late 50s. She has some additional medical complications but it went very well. The main thing is waiting for the surgeon to be confident it won't dislocate and the main risk is falls. They like cycling but from her experience I think you might be looking at turbo from week 6 and outdoors from weeks 10-12. It has turned my Mums life round. Are you having it done at Chapel A ton? Mum had both hers done there and they were great.

I was going to post basically what wwaswas did. I cycle [i]because[/i] I broke my hip, I got into it for rehab. As I understand it the traction-in-situ surgery is weirdly more initially damaging and debilitating than a replacement, but the longer term prognosis is better (mine should be done-and-dusted, replacements wear out)

I had a hip resurfacing 7 years ago ( aged 50) but waited 3 months before cycling because of winter weather.
It's been good so far.

There's a fairly rigid protocol to follow with total hip replacememt but that only restricts certain movements for the first couple of weeks- I *think* it's no bending your hip more than 90 degrees and no moving you leg past your centreline (as in crossing your legs). Other than that they will have you on your feet pretty much as soon as you wake up and prob out the hospital that day or the next. Current evidence shows that the earlier you mobilise (ie get up and start walking around) the higher the chances of success. You'll be visited by a physio after you wake up, they will give you excellent advice, ask them plenty of questions and have someone with you if you can to help you remember the answers! Good luck!! 🙂

Tues night riding buddie has had both done, rides a Mondracker ebike now.....
He used to live here! http://www.crathorne.org/crathorne-hall-hotel/4551019945
Know it?

Ton

I had a hip replacement at 30.

Best thing ever.

Email me fella or we can meet up. It's a long tail...

You at dyfi?

I had a total hip replacement ten weeks ago. I was out of hospital and walking g with a single stick in a couple of days, and by day ten could walk on a flattish track for about a mile without sticks.

The only real bugbear is the not bending your hip past 90 degrees thing. They used to say about six weeks but current thinking is not to bend it for twelve weeks. Apparently the risk of dislocation is very real. My occupational therapist was very insistent when i suggested getting on the turbo, as the pedalling can be an issue.

That said, apart from the cycling i haven't looked back since about two weeks after the op. The less you favour it the better it works.

My dad had is done nearly 2 years ago not a cyclist but a very active 60 something farmer. The rapid recovery and feeling he was able to do more did mean he pushed himself quite hard which was going well until he fell at 7-8 weeks and broke the leg with the replacement in - this is very much not recommended!!
However even after that he is much better than before the first op and the impact of the hip on back etc. was a major issue before.

My advice - find the best surgeon you can, for you are an active, young patient.

Recovery is quick and easy if you follow advice. Too many people don't do the physio exercises after surgery and a few push themselves too hard.
As mentioned above the worry is dislocation. There is only gravity holding the new joint in place, therefore building up muscle is crucial.

I was advised not to mtb, but that was the worry of falling. After a few months I was back on my mtbike but walking down stuff (that I'd ridden a 100 times).
18 months later I'm back mtbing properly, padded up and not bothered about getting off on any downhills. Padded up now with a cautious approach allows me to carry on the sport I love.
Watching the Martyn Ashton video made me realise I would carry on and take a chance.
The replacement only lasts 20 years, so get good advice. Mine is not ceramic, because I ski and cycle and that type of ball join could break with a bad fall.

You should get lots of advice and leaflets, also great advice from the other posters above.

Edit: I was advised by the surgeon to swim breast stroke 7 days a week. I managed at least 4-5. Please ask about the swimming because its not something that other surgeons agree on.

Good luck ton. I had mine replaced five years ago. I lost lots of strength because I was 'hipless' for 6 months while the infection cleared, but I was back on the bike within 6 weeks and back at work teaching in 6 weeks. Took over a year to get the power even between the legs again.

Get down the gym and on the machines as quickly as you can. Walking in water is a very good early exercise to get going.

The only advice the doctors gave me was to not try to learn anything new (like skiing, para gliding) where there is a high fall risk - they said If I used to be fine then it would be ok. I've taken a few falls including being hit by a VW Golf at speed and not had any issues.

My advice is to do as much strength work before the op so that you are as strong and fit as you can be to make recovery quicker.

I now hardly notice it!

Good advice robbo.

I would walk as much as you can and swim. Get your fitness as high as possible, as robbo says, it will help with a quick and easy recovery.

Im having mine replaced on friday. Ive been waiting for about a year to get it done and i really cant wait, short term pain for long term gain (hopefully). My surgeon said he'd be happy for me to get on a stationary bike after 12 weeks if i heal ok. Still cant decide whether to have it done under general anaesthetic or while awake.

Still cant decide whether to have it done under general anaesthetic or while awake.

I went in insistent that I'd have a general anaesthetic rather than an epidural but the anaesthetist was pretty persuasive and I had an epidural. I still insisted on being put under though - I came to about two thirds of the way through the op. It sounded like the seven dwarves at work hammering away on the other side of the curtain 😆

Like Robbo, I hardly notice it now. I've only fallen on it once, about a month ago I hit some ice - things hurt for a week or so.

Anyway Shadowrider, good luck. Follow the regimen they give you but push it a bit so long as you don't induce pain. Whenever I spoke to someone who'd had the op they'd recommend having it done. I totally understand now, it's a complete life changer, I've gone from being in tears when getting out of bed to walking normally and happy to ride a bike off-road for 18hrs. You won't regret it.

Very interested in this thread . Just had a consultation today and 6 to 8 month wait and the cheerful advice that by the time I have it done my other hip will be just about ready for replacement too. Was thinking of going private but not keen to spend £13k+ and have to do it again next year . Quite like the idea af a resurfacing but that's a private only option and it seems that there can be issues .

Well i had mine replaced on Friday morning, i had a spinal block with no sedative. It was very surreal as you can hear everything, a lot of hammering, drilling and sawing, but could only feel the movements in your bones. The worst part was when they lowered the screen when they finished and the surgeon gave me the thumbs up while completely splattered in blood, like a scene from a horror film. But im up and about on crutches now but very sore and stiff. Cant wait to get on my bike again.

Congratulations.
Now it's doing everything you're told. Don't get on a turbo too soon (because you mustn't bend at the hip).
Rest because it is a major op and let us know your progress 🙂

go easy and do not cross your legs...

I found sleeping sitting up helped

Well today has been a good day. 39 days after having my new hip i had my first ride on an exercise bike. It felt really good to get my legs spinning again especially as there was no nagging groin pain, in fact there was no pain at all.

😀

got my date for this. going in on 23rd november. and hopefully home on the 25th, fingers crossed.

looking for a good turbo trainer for when i am able to use it.... 😆

Good luck, this is something I will be looking at down the road.
Any updates shadowrider? Hope its all going ok.

Great news and good luck!!

Good luck, Big 'un, hope all goes well.

I've had mine nearly 6 months now, it's amazing how much difference it's made. I'm not doing any mtbing as I'm too worried about falling off but I'm on the roadbike nearly everyday. Just got myself a Cannondale Slate so I can do a bit more than just road riding.
Being allowed home in 2 days might be a bit optimistic, I was out on the 4th day, it all depends on passing all the little goals they set you. I hope it all goes well mate.

[quote=ton ]
looking for a good turbo trainer for when i am able to use it.... You can't really use that in a flat..... 🙄

Good luck Tony!

Had mine resurfaced in June and so far it's been a great success . Was back at work 4 and a bit weeks after the op and have done some road cycling on the MTB and some very light off road tracks . The recovery for resurfacing is a little different because they mill the ball down a bit and then put a crown on it rather like they do with a tooth . This leaves the bone under the crown soft and it can take a year to fully harden back to what it was so femoral head fractures are a worry if you overdo it . For active people it seems like a better choice as standard replacements tend to last under 10 years in people who are under 60 and active , also the risk of dislocation is minimised as the ball and socket are larger with a resurfacing . That operation is not an option on the NHS on the Isle of Man and probably not in the UK . They always tell you to choose your surgeon well if you have a choice , mine had done over 3000 resurfacings with 97% still functioning well. Certainly hip replacement or resurfacing are life changing operations for many and are considered fairly routine in this day and age . Good luck with yours .

everyone seems to have had a good outcome from hip operations.
fingers crossed it will all be good.

Had the results of my MRI scan yesterday and looks like I will be going down this path soon too.

Interested in ages that everyone here had the opp, as I am only 48, not looking forward to the thought of time off a bike.

Friend had his done, was riding within a couple of months and back racing DH competitively within a year.

@ski - I was 54 when I had mine done.

It's a very routine operation these days, over 70,000 per year in the UK. The hospital where I had mine done perform 3 a day.

Anyway good luck Tony.

Aye - in the vast majority of cases hip replacements work very well. My 82 yr old mother had both hips done last year. 3 months after the second one she was walking 5 miles with no issues.

another friend in her 40s had one done and within 3 months was back to playing tennis.

The key to good recovery is to do the exercises they give you religiously

What if you are an atheist?

😈

looking for a bit of advice/help.

had the op 13 days ago. it was a success. i was out of bed after 4 hours, which was a shock. up some stairs later that night, and sent home next morning. all very rushed.

after care advice was a bit crap. obviously they told me, not to cross my legs, no low seat to be used, sleep on my back. obvious stuff.

but then it was just, off you go kind of thing, dont do too much.
but how much is too much?, how painful should walking on it be?
i dont think there is pain in the joint now, but there is deffo a lot of pain when walking, shuffleing about my bed, and even seating, tho i think this will be pain from the scar/bruising?

i have built my walks up a bit each day, and today managed 1 mile. is it too far?

anyone?

My experiences - I walked a mile 2 weeks after the op, you are probably correct that the pain is the scar / bruising.

Getting onto an indoor bike and keeping the hip moving without impact is the best thing you can do.

Have you been given any exercises to do? I am guessing that if it is the NHS it will be just a sheet of paper, but do them religiously. Once you get the go ahead (when the wound heals) work on the hip movement in a swimming pool. I still do this 2 years on after a swim session (one benefit of the op was that it forced me to learn freestyle swimming properly and I found I actually enjoyed swimming after 50 years.)

I paid a sports physio to work on my rehab over several months and if you can afford this it is worth every penny, both for the actual manipulation of the joint and also for the psychological support - being told how far you can push things, is the pain anything to worry about etc.

I was cycling after 12 weeks (could have been sooner but it was winter), cycled in Majorca after 16 weeks, did a loaded tour in Wales after 6 months, toured down the Divide after 9 months.

I know several others who have had this done and it has given us all a new lease of life. Good luck.

sounds about right Ton. The pain will be from the wound - they have cut right thru your mighty thigh and attacked the bone with saws and hammers - its like breaking your leg badly. A mile two weeks on sounds about right to me but you really should be getting physio advice and a set of graduated exercises to help rebuild / strengthen the muscles

Get thee to a physio. Were you really not given exercises to do? I shall try to get hold of a copy for you if you want. NO contacts in your rugby world for a bit of physio?

I broke mine so had bone knitting to contend with. My advice would be to wait until the stitches are out before doing anything too strenuous but then get some good stretches and also concentrate on walking without a limp - it's amazing how habituated you get to limping even when there's nothing preventing you walking evenly.

Key for me was getting full movement back and also trying to regain strength (for the latter that was more from being 6 weeks non weight bearing, though I think).

The stretching will hurt - more than the original injury in my case. I ended up with tears in my eyes 4 or 5 times a day when I did my stretches but I regained full movement after about 4 months.

Saw this today funnily enough (not suggesting you're elderly!) [url= https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29169245 ]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29169245[/url] It's well worth persevering.

I'll echo what the other two have said.

Not much quicker in hospital than I was. It's all very much about "active" recovery plus you might as well be at home with the germs you are used to rather than in hospital with loads of novel bugs about.

Most of the "don'ts" are to let your muscles build up so that the joint is stabilised. Hence no crossing your leg as that could pull the new joint out of the socket.

My analogy was like having really really bad toothache and going to the dentist who then extracted said tooth. Immediately after your visit things are sore from him ratching around in your mouth taking the tooth out. Once that's settled down there's tenderness from the exposed socket but the pain from the tooth is no longer there.

Most of the "pain" I got was really the nerve endings around the operation incision randomly firing. At a guess you'll be coming to the end of or have just finished your course of pain killers so the effects of those will be wearing off - I had some sleepless nights at that time. Not helped by having to sleep on my back which is something I don't do normally.

I was probably about the same sort of distance after two weeks. Six weeks in I was doing five mile walks without problem. I wanted to get on the turbo after about three weeks but my wife insisted I wait until I went back for the six week check-up and get the go-ahead from the surgeon. (It was actually four years ago last week when I had mine done).

It is somewhat frustrating but you've got to let things progress at their own rate. Push as much as you feel you can get away with but learn when your body is starting to fight back so you don't push too far and damage things.

Just keep positive - it will be worth it in the end.

I'd give the Chapel A team a call. We did that with Mum and they were pretty good offering advice over the phone. You could make excuses that you are yet to have a physio appointment through and wondered what was happening. Have you had occ health in with the funny high chairs and toilet seats etc?

The thing to be careful with not doing 'too much' is being careful to not dislocate the joint. Sounds sensible to listen to how you feel.

I think it took Mum 3-4 weeks before she dropped off the painkillers apart from some paracetamol. Certainly took a month before she slept anywhere near properly.

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/recovery/total-hip-replacement-exercise-guide

i was given a sheet with eight exercises, which i have been doing religiously four times per day.
i am seeing the physio on tuesday at the hospital. he mentioned prior that if i felt fine on the day, i could go on the indoor bike.

all i was worried about, was that i was not doing too much or too little. from what you guys have said, it appears i am on target.

cheers people. 😀

Sounds like your doing just fine, you have to follow the exercise routine and let the body do it's magic. Are you using a stick or crutches? I ditched the crutches quite early and found the stick much easier. I would just walk until you feel you have done enough, I always knew if I'd done too much. I've had mine 7 months now and it's still not 100%. It's a slow process and can be frustrating at times but you'll be back to normal(ish) before you know it.

I was told not to go on any bike, as lifting the leg to a certain height us bad and can cause dislocation.
At the 6 week stage I was allowed on a turbo trainer.

Swimming after the wound was healing ok and walking without a stick within a month or 2.

Please do not cycle yet.

Ton, I'm just wondering, if your physio said you could possibly go on the bike, have you have a partial or total replacement? My Mum had two total replacements and there was no way she was allowed to do anything which put the knee high enough to cycle (as bunnyhop says), for at least 6 weeks.

Anyone had a knee done?

Ton, I'm just wondering, if your physio said you could possibly go on the bike, have you have a partial or total replacement

full hip replacement.
i was told by my surgeon, that he wanted me up and running asap, the reason being that because i had a heart problem and that i had a DVT last year when laid up with my ankle, the sooner i was mobile, the better i would be.
he wants me off crutches and sticks within 6 week.
he told me that if had gone with the other surgeon available at the time, then that is a 12 week programme.

i will follow the physio and the surgeons advice prior to doing anything.

doing your exercises i s the best thing you can be doing. sounds like you are on track. Let your body tell you - you need to push a bit but not too far. Listen to what it says

Aye my Mum has a DVT risk so she was also up and about the same day for the same reason. Have to say, they did a great job looking after her. I'm sure they'll do the same for you.

Maybe you had the same guy, Mr E....?

Keep going. I saw how hard it was for Mum, but how much it has changed her life.

ahsat, yes Mr E at nuffield.

Blimey ton, you have been in the wars. Good luck.

MIL had great success and v rapid recovery. From hardly walking to 2 hours with the dogs daily

19 days since surgery.

15 minutes spinning with no pain or discomfort.

[url= https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4536/27233650429_5f15777459_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4536/27233650429_5f15777459_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Huxzt4 ]2017-12-12_06-00-55[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/91703444@N06/ ]20ston[/url], on Flickr

Nice one Tony 😀

Nice one Tony

felt good Bob.

for some reason i was worried and scared that i would not be able to get back on a bike.
too much time on my hands worrying......... 😆

Little n often

Took me a while to get my head round the worry of breaking it or wearing it out....

Seven years ago for me, feels great and cycling more than ever. As above do the exercises,take your time and you will soon be back touring.

This forum needs a like button 🙂

If Mrs M found me spinning in the kitchen it'd be more than pain or discomfort I'd feel!

1 month since surgery, i have just ridden outside for 15 minutes.

8)

Nice one!

Ace 🙂

Great start to Christmas!

Good to see Tom, I have my thr op on the 29th, guess I won't be dancing on new years eve but hopefully in a better state for bike and swim by late spring

Brilliant.

If you fancy a pootle out to a local pub, over the next few weeks just shout up.

Nice one mate

Well done Tony! 😆 Keep at it.

Yay! 😀

ton - that's great news!

I work on a orthopaedic ward and see many thr's most of ours are Trauma patients though rather than elective. Youngest I've seen was a 23 year old motorcycle etc he was out within a week, started mobilising the day after or on a zf and left hospital using crutches.

Saw a 65 year old road cyclist do the same.

Haven't had a thr myself but have had a dynamic hip screw fitted for a neck of femur fracture, when I got knocked off my motorbike when I was 18. Think it took me 30 months get back on a motorbike after.
Do get a bit of pain in it, if I swing my leg over motorbike or mountain bike too fast or it's really cold.

Make sure it's done by a hip specialist. Which it probably will be anyway.

Well done ton. Great news.

to anyone thinking about a hip replacement............crack on and get it done.

just completed 300 miles this month. my 1st months riding since having it done in November
#iswellchuffed

Aces. Well done big lad.

Brilliant well done 🙂