Does range of motion in operated hip ever equal non operated hip?

[23109VC]

Hi everyone!!

I'm at about 8 months post op... Feeling really good.  Most of my twinges of pain are gone... I'm not running regularly but I can do it!  What a rush it was to actually run at full speed... It was euphoric!!   

I can touch my nose to my knee on my non operated hip .  On the operated side I can get to within a few inches. But that's it.  I feel a pinching sensation if I try to go further

Does the ROM come back with time and stretches or should I not be pushing it?  I can easily. End down to tie my shoes. So I'm. Not complaining, but curious if illget even more flexible and if so, if it just happens gradually on its own or if PT or stretching it will quickn the ROM return??

Thx!

[curt]

     I can't wait to find out the same thing.  Prior to surgery my ROM was the first indication that my hip was indeed in trouble.  Could pull the other knee tight to my chest, but the bad hip fell well short.  Interestingly, their was little to no pain will doing it, just couldn't get it there.  The capsule evidently tightens up as it adjusts the position of the hip to avoid the painful spot.  My non-opeative leg, conversely, got increased ROM as it tried to compensate for the bad side - a side effect of the limping to come.
     At this point (5 weeks), I already have greatly increased ROM to the side (frog leg).  Once I'm cleared I will be interested to see if the mechanical block to pulling my knee up still exists.  Curt

[Aerial]

I actually asked Dr. Gross about this since I really do alot of yoga and right now my ROM in poses where I have to flex my hip deeply (pull knee to chest) is pretty bad.  I can do all sort of stuff on the good hip side!  Dr. Gross said it would improve but never be like the other side.  It has something to due to the device not permitting a totally endless range.  Something knocks on something in there (for a very non medical explanation).  Right now I am totally OK with better ROM if it mean no pain!

[Anniee]

Aerial, that is interesting information that I had not heard previously.  The ROM in my right hip, which was resurfaced in April, was much better a few months after the surgery than my unoperated left hip.  If I can get my left hip, which was resurfaced in October, to the same point, I will be very happy!  Because of the condition which caused the abnormal wear in my hip joints (profunda acetabulum - this is the opposite of hip dysplasia) I have never had completely normal ROM in my hips.  Then the OA made it a lot worse.  So right now, my ROM is better than I can ever remember - and I have no joint pain! :) 

[Aerial]

Interesting Annie!  It would be total bonus if I regained all my flexibility in my bad hip.  My right side (bad hip side) always used to be my more flexible side!

[Dannywayoflife]

I think I'll touch wood have a better rom than I've ever had before as knowing what I know now I think I had fai most of my life as I always had really bad hip flexability that no amount of streaching seemed to help as I always had pain in the joint I could never get a stretch on the muscle.
Danny

[obxpelican]

Ok, I must be the odd ball, my ROM is better on my operated hip, although I will be needing a new hip on the left side.


Chuck

[curt]

Chuck, you are only slightly odd...welcome to the club.  Curt

[ScubaDuck]

I am curious about ROM as well.  That has been the hardest part of recovery.  I am still not back to pre-surgery ROM when bringing my knee to the chest.  But I have better ROM when letting my leg go out to the side like a frog.

I am hoping it gets better but I know that I have to be diligent about stretching.

Dan

[obxpelican]

A lot of your ROM will come back naturally, some of it comes from stretching, I still sit in a hot whirlpool at Ballys and stretch out both hips. 

It can take a few years to get back your ROM, some people take a year or better to tie their shoes, but a lot of it will just come back.


Chuck

[23109VC]

I easily tie my shoes.  My ROM now is tons better than it was preop, but it's not as good as my "normal" hip.  If I was told that my current ROM was as good as its going to get, I would not complain.... But if I could gain a bit more flexibility with some stretching, I'd do it.

The comment about the implant not allowing complete ROM.. At least not as much as a normal hip, is interesting.  I had wondered if perhaps it was a limitation of the implant.  Perhaps it is.  I can live with it.  I'm already living so much better with my new hip!

[FlbrkMike]

ROM is much better on both sides then it was before my BHRs.  Reduced ROM was one of the main reasons I went through with the surgery.

[John C]

Not everyone agrees with this, but there were some studies done with cadavers, that showed that there was often some impingement between the neck of the femur and the edge of the cup during extreme flexion after resurfacing. If pushed, this would lead to minor subluxation of the joint, and in an extreme case, possible damage to the neck where it impacts the metal edge of the cup. My personal choice is to go through the points where I just feel things stretching, and stop at any point where I feel that there is any feeling of solid parts meeting. I did have one friend who allowed someone to push his range of motion too far (in my opinion), and he had some clunking return. My theory is that this was caused by having the joint repeatedly subluxed, which stretched out the capsule, in a similar situation to post surgery.
In his post operative report, I believe that Dr Gross actually gave the degrees of motion without any impingement that I had after the parts were installed, before he sewed me back up.

[Aerial]

I actually asked Dr. Gross about this since I really do alot of yoga and right now my ROM in poses where I have to flex my hip deeply (pull knee to chest) is pretty bad.  I can do all sort of stuff on the good hip side!  Dr. Gross said it would improve but never be like the other side.  It has something to due to the device not permitting a totally endless range.  Something knocks on something in there (for a very non medical explanation).  Right now I am totally OK with better ROM if it mean no pain!

I think for most activities the ROM that is achievable will be improved and very adequate.  An activity like yoga does go beyond "normal" boundaries.  I am super flexible on the other other side so achieving that degree might not be possible but a decent degree of improvement should be seen.  I think this is the essence of my conversation with Dr. Gross.  Unless you are doing an activity that requires more than average ROM you should be fine.  I will need to feel the limit I will likely have and be sensible about it one my operated side.

[Tin Soldier]

My ROM in my 8-month hip is way better than it used to be.  It's still not where I want it and I know that I won't be able to join the circus anytime soon, but if I keep stretching, I suspect I will get some more ROM.  Getting my socks on, on both sides is still a bit of a struggle.  However, my walking stride is long and feels even and much stronger than it used to be.   Remember, the capsule tissue is slow to change over. 

[ScubaDuck]

I can feel my ROM on the operated side SLOWLY getting better.  I am not quite to where I was pre-op but getting close.  I am hoping to achieve the same ROM as the god-given hip.  Keep in mind I have never been very flexible.

Everything else is fine.  I spent hours walking around Vancouver BC sightseeing with my gf and mom.  I was a bit sore in the hip capsule but everything else was great.  And there was just a little limp at the end.  Let's just say that a fraction of that walking pre-op would have resulted in severe limping and pain.

Dan

[hipnhop]

My range of motion in my operated hip is so much better than in the non-op one.  I think it would be better if i kept up PT exercises and active stretching. I am back to my old self and just hitting weights, bike and elliptical, all without much stretching. 

If I would spend at least 15 minutes stretching and doing P/T i think I could impress Tin and join the Circus.

[triathloner]

I am three years post op from Dr. Gross.  My ROM has been pretty much equal since about 1 year post op, I followed the post instructions and even at 3 years still do them about weekly before I stretch at the gym.  I think use it or loose it applies here, stay active, do your stretches, and life is good.