pain, inflammation & numbness? Anyone?....

[Anita]

Hi, I posted a few months ago about sudden worsening and pain without incident 10 months out... now I am almost 1 year out.
I did go to the doctor, they did some scans and ran a lot of special tests.. still waiting on results, just wanted your input. after all who knows better than people who have BHRs. 

So for three months now, off and on (more on than off. LOL) pain from aching to severe stabbing both in the front groin (actual joint) and on the side of my hip and upper thigh... from my incision up to where you would sit a baby on your hip.  pain on internal rotation (when he turns my knee in, foot out) deep aching in upper thigh front. noticible swelling in the entire hip and buttock area that is sensitive to the touch. Horibble if I roll over on it. Dr. says severe tissue inflammation but no shifting or fractures.... I have been on prednisone for the last three weeks. He is testing for metal ion sensitivity and psudotumors as well as some specific tests for infection although cbc was within normal.

*Newest symptom.... my foot and lower leg keeps going numb (like it is partially asleep. moving it, shaking it, pumping it does nothing to "wake it up") for hours at a time and the foot is ice cold in comparison to the other. This too is not constant though.

Dr. is unsure why, I will have more tests this week but hoping maybe someone here has heard of this or had a similar experience ( hopefully that was completely resolved!!!!)

Any and all responses are appreciated. Thanks

[fedup]

assuming your xrays are ok, you need an MRI of your hip/pelvis and lower back to see how extensive the inflammation is and how it has affected the nerves (is it weak as well as numb?). An ultrasound might help show some of the inflammation. Have you had your metal levels checked? If it is not caused by your hip, it does seem to be adjacent to your hip given your symptoms.

[bothdone]

Hi Anita

Sorry to read about your pain and problems.  I can't offer any suggestions on top of what you are already doing but I'd like to offer you my very best wishes that you and your medics manage to sort things out.

Ed

[Pat Walter]

Anita

You did not mention who your surgeon was.  I would suggest you send your x-rays to several of the top hip resurfacing surgeons since they are very expeirnced and have done 2000 to 3000 resurfaicngs.  If you surgoen is less experienced at a few hundred, he/she probably doesn't have the exprience to determine if the acetabular cup is proplery placed or get a blood test to check your metal ions.  This is very serious stuff when there are problems and you need the top surgeons to give you advice. 

You can email Dr. Gross of SC, Dr. De Smet of Belgium to get second opinons.  Depending on where your are Dr. Su of NY would be an excellent choice.  He does not do free email consultations.  The other 2 doctors do. Dr. Gross will call you.  You need good input and you seem to NOT be getting it.  You can get their contact info from my surgoens list  http://www.surfacehippy.info/listofdoctors.php

It is not normal to have severe pain and problems at 1 year post op.  Many of the problems are showing up at 1 - 2 years post op.  Most are from either a cup placed at the wrong angle causing edge wear or a few metal allergies.

Your doctor can also contact Dr. De Smet himself and consult with him since he does not know what is going on.  You need better input. 

I hope you can find an answer soon.

Pat

[Anita]

thanks for all the input. yes, I have a lot of weakness and numbness/ cold in that leg and foot.

I went back to the doctor, he said my metal levels were slightly high for a non/ resurfaced person (2.2) but expecteed range for 11 months out with bhr.  no psudotumors, fractures or shifting. he sent me downstairs to a neurologist who worked me in fo an EMG and exam. she says I definitely have nerve damage. she traced a non-conducting (took 11 tries to get conduction rather than each try????) all the way from my big toe to my spine. She says this nerve (it is not the one sciatic nerve but the smaller one that runs down to the toe and up into the side of the hip) is not conducting signal to the muscles and feels this could be causing the muscle and soft tissue inflammation and weakness ans well as pain. It does not account for the sharp pain in the joint though.... current thought is ilio tendon?? that's the guess anyway. so, she ordered another MRI and I go back next week for a head to toe neuro exam and to see if she has found the cause for the nerve damage. and whether it is repairable.

I looked at my x-rays of my hip. the ball/ stem component, while it has not shifted or moved from my original xrays is not set vertically in the center of my femur. it is angled over toward the inside at a diagonal angle (significantly) Dr. says this is because it has to be done this way due to my dysplasia, to set the joint in what should be its correct alignment. anyone else's done this way. He is supposed to be a great dr. and I do trust him.... just checking. I know I may up needing a second opinion at some point, figured I would see what happens with the nerve damage before I go to another ortho.

[Lopsided]

It appears that the doctors that are great doctors in general, and the surgeons that are specialist experts in resurfacing, are not necessarily the same people.