Popping -Clicking in Hip

[john49]

Hi John,
It's funny that you mentioned the "popping" sounds.  When I arrived in Orlando three days after my surgery I sat in one of those old wheelchairs that you see at the airport and immediately heard/felt a couple of pops when the attendant place my foot onto the foot rest.  At first I thought that I dislocated the hip.  And then I thought that I fractured the femoral head.  I'm wondering if this a similar condition that you experienced.

John

[TomBuell]

Sounds like the same thing. It's almost a clicking as much as a popping. I've been told it's normal and it will go away. Mine has.
- Tom

[Pat Walter]

Hi John

I ws 61 when I had my hip resurfacing and pretty much out of shape.  I had a lot of what I called clunking.  You could feel it more than hear it.  I had it right after surgery and could mostly feel it when I shifted my weight either standing or even sitting.  Dr. De Smet said it was because my mucles were stretched and out of shape.  He said as my hip tightened up, the clunking would stop. 

It got better as the months went on.  Again, there was no pain, but it is a weird feeling.  I am over 2 years post op and still get a little clunk now and then when I shift my weight when I am sitting.  On the whole, I don't hardly ever feel it now. 

It will improve with time.

Pat

[takilasunrise]

I still have the clunking fairly often.  I read somewhere that your fluids are what lubricate the "joint" now since you don't have cartilage there anymore, so the clunking is your metal parts rubbing together (it also has something to do with your stiffness, once it gets lubricated, then the stiffness will go away).  When I hear mine, all I can think of it's just like the ball joints in the front end of your car, which is basically what our new hips are! 

[John C]

I had a lot of "clunking" for the first week or so, which had me concerned. They promised that it would go away, and at eight weeks, it is a distant memory. :)

[dgm]

I didn't have the popping right after surgery - mine started a few months out.  It does not rise to the level of pop, it is more a sensation of slipping or something shifting slightly.  There is no pain but it is a weird feeling (and it goes away immediately)  I have a doctor visit next week so I will ask then but it has never been enough to make me panic and seems fairly random and intermittent.  It seems to happen when I stand or sit in a certain position although I cannot "make" it happen. 

Denise