Femoral Neck Stress Fracture

[Ljpviper]

It appears I have a small stress fracture. I am over year out from HR with Dr.Gross. I kept thinking it was a muscle issue. Last week my leg started swelling and I was in major pain. so I went to the emergency room. It barely shows on the Xray.

Sent all information and CD to Dr.Gross. I am on crutches since Friday, seems to be getting better.

Now I am trying to figure out how this happened. From the images the components seem to be in the same angles as last year. I am sure Dr.Gross will compare all the images tomorrow.

I ramped up my routine in Feb and March. I was doing a lot of one legged balancing plus side planks daily. I remember before the pain started my side plank was getting weaker on the HR side. I am not overweight but I was reading standing on one leg transmits four times your body weight on the hip joint that is being utilized.

Hopefully I just stressed the femoral neck, lets see.

Larry

[blinky]

Oh no! But it isn't the end, not yet. There was a poster on this forum who cracked his femoral neck, stayed off his feet, and it healed.


Best of luck.

[catfriend]

The dreaded femoral neck fracture! :-[ Sorry to hear it. Hard to say what caused it. When I discussed this possibility with Dr. P his opinion was a lot of time it's just bad luck (one of his patients fell and hit the pavement in a Trader Joe's parking lot - kee-rack!), and it can happen anytime, not just in the initial healing period. Depending on the fracture they can heal without any revision surgery. I hope yours turns out to be one of those. Good luck, and let us know what Dr. G says.

[Joe_CA]

Sorry to hear that Larry, but I'm confident that a small stress fracture should only be a temporary setback for you (hopefully Dr. Gross will recommend a short period of rest to allow it to heal).

Does this explain the puzzling pain and tightness you were experiencing?

The only thing I'm concerned about is how a stress fracture could occur almost a year post-surgery from the activities you described (one legged non-weighted exercises and side planks)? Maybe I'm not aware of how much force is applied to the hips doing these.

I hope you recover quickly.

Joe

[Ljpviper]

Hey Joe,

  I will speak to Dr.Gross to see what he thinks caused it. I remember taking a fall in February working in the garage but didn't think much of it.

I was trying to work out the tightness when this occurred. I knew it was something different as the pain was deep. I was like no way its still muscle cant be a bone pain.

Yeah I am over a year, so not sure like u stated how exercises could have caused it. I log all I do so I am just throwing everything out there.

Its down in the middle of the neck I attached pic of it. Its on the tension side, above the greater T.

Thanks,

Larry

[chuckm]

Wow Larry, sorry. Good thing you had symptoms to tell you to stop before something really got displaced.


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I was doing a lot of one legged balancing plus side planks daily.

My unprofessional opinion is that your fall could have been what started this all but maybe not. Doing one leg stands and planks seem completely reasonable until you mention that you were doing them daily.

It's not talked about much but during the first couple of months post-op your femur enters the "remodeling" phase. That is where the bone is functional but still creating the final product. The bone is also making tiny adjustments to the new stresses. This process can go on for years before it's done. There may not have been enough time each night for the bone to recover from your daily activities. 

Once your fracture heals I think you should space your workouts so there is plenty of time for the bones to recover - and the muscles too - much like professional athletes do.
Early in my recovery I was very worried about repetitive daily stress on the femur that might cumulatively result in a fracture. Even now, four years post-op I still try not to do anything strenuous without at least a days rest in between.

Chuckm

[Ljpviper]

Chuck, I think I caught it in time. I think your correct, that fall I took in the garage might have started the issue.

It never had a chance to heal. I will be speaking to Dr.Gross about it today. Will post later.

I do feel better being on crutches for a week, so that's a good sign.

[Ljpviper]

Spoke to Dr.Gross today he was not convinced that was a stress fracture the white spot that was pointed out. Stated to stay on crutches and get an mri or xray in week and half.

Something is up, as swelling is not normal. Wait and see.

[Quig]

Sorry to hear you've hit a rough patch Larry. I hope it turns out to be nothing major and that you're back in the game quickly!

[Ljpviper]

Yeah one month on crutches seemed to have did the trick. Started walking over the weekend. Feeling good. Another plus, being non weight bearing, my psoas tendonitis is gone. Feel residual muscle weakness but that is to be expected

Now I just have to take it easy and not over do stuff.

Thanks all

Larry

[Joe_CA]

That's great to hear Larry. Glad to hear that if it actually was a stress fracture, then all the pain and hopefully complications of that are gone. Hopefully no more nagging pain either. Let us know how it goes the next few months.