As a Dutch person it is very difficult to translate the word for what I feel. Let me try to explain and hopefully someone has the right word for it. I am 5 months post op and getting more flexible and stronger every day. I am back at about 80% of how I was training before surgery and more flexible than the last 2 years. So that's for setting the stage. ALL very positive and I feel extremely happy with the small improvements like being able to tie my shoe laces again normally!!!

Now sometimes when I sit on a chair and push my knee up with heel(while toes still touch the ground) and wiggle up and down, it feels like AS IF something is not tightened well. Almost as if a screw is missing if I would have one. Or maybe like there is some space where there should be no space. Cannot even explain it well in Dutch let alone in English.  It also happens when standing and bending over slightly while my upper body is making movements left to right or whatever.

My PT did not know what it was and could not feel that movement within.

Does ANYone understand what I am talking about and/or does ANYone has similar experience??

Please let me know.

thanks,

Lee

Hi Lee,
It sounds to me like it's 'clunking' and it's fairly common.  I had it too.  Many people have it shortly after surgery.  I didn't have it then.  But, I did have it occasionally at 5 months to 9 months post-op.  I especially experienced it when I was slightly bent over at the sink brushing my teeth.  If I shifted by weight while slightly bent over, I could sometimes make it happen.

Anyway, it was temporary.  I don't have it any longer.   I'm about 1 1/2 years post-op and everything is perfectly fine. 

Good Luck!
Jean

Thank you very much for your reply. Clunking is the word I was looking for and your description is SPOT ON!!  I am glad to know it eventually got better.

It does not restrict me in ANY way but I started wondering if it is normal or if something is wrong.

Lee

Lee,

At 5 months post-op your body is still healing among the strange things that you might notice in the near future, clicking, popping, clunking and even some stiffness when you have been sitting for a while that goes away after 10 feet or so of walking.

You may even have some pain after pushing it in the future up to a year or better. 

Soon you won't even remember you have a new hip.

All in all you sound like you are doing well.


Chuck

It certainly is good to be amongst "The Tribe."
Many of us now that clunking feeling/experience. Your hip was dislocated during surgery, and to do so, the surgeon has to excise or cut some very important tissues/ligaments/muscles that help stabilize the hip.
It takes time for those specific structures to re-grow and heal ...
In my opinion, you will be alright.
If it bothers you - go to your source/surgeon for answers.
Best.

Quote from: masterlee10 on February 13, 2010, 04:06:37 PM
Thank you very much for your reply. Clunking is the word I was looking for and your description is SPOT ON!!  I am glad to know it eventually got better.

It does not restrict me in ANY way but I started wondering if it is normal or if something is wrong.

Lee

lee
welcome to the clunkers club.a few people have written that it takes at least 2 years to be 100%.i would agree, at 16 months post-op mine is still improving.
larry.....................another clunker

Hi Lee

As everyone said, clunking or a loose feeling is quite common. It does not hurt and normally is because the muscles are still lose around the hip device - or that is what my surgeon told me.  Remember that even though most people return to most normal activities at 6 months - your hip takes at least a full year to completely heal.  I had clunking from the start and even now at 4 years post op - still get a clunk now and then when I move in a certain way.  There is a tiny space between the cap and cup of the bearing surfaces and that can move in and out as your muscles or hip allow it to.

Nothing to worry about if you are not in great pain.

Your muscles should get tighter as you heal more.

Good Luck.

Pat

It was around month 9 or 10 post surgery that i finally began to 'trust' my new hip. Until then I microanalized every little twinge and clunk. Don;t underestimate the insult to your hip required to fix it. I still clunk from time to time, but mostly I don;t even think about my hip. Have a Hopjes and relax :) or better yet send some to me!

Mine still clunks occasionally at 15 months, I've gotten so used to it that it doesn't really bug me anymore. Mine coincides with lots of activity, overdo it and it seems to swell a little and get clunky for a day or two. Compared to what it was before I'll take it....