I'm 8 weeks out of my second BHR, 15 weeks out of my first. While my recovery is going well overall, one issue that I'm noticing is a popping or clicking sensation in one or both of my hips when I am doing certain types of motions.
When I talked to my surgeon, Dr. Pritchett, about this at my last appointment, he said that this is normal / expected with the design of the BHR and other metal on metal implants. Unlike with cups made from other types of materials, the BHR cup is deeper in the center than it is on the edges (what he called a non-equatorial bearing), so when the ball rotates in the cup it pops in and out as it goes through its normal range of motion. Dr. Pritchett says he's put other types of devices with an equatorial bearing cup design (he's doing cross-hatched polyethylene on a lot of women) and patients never report this sensation with those devices.
This sensation seems to be declining as my recovery progresses, i.e. it used to happen if I just shifted my weight, now it's mostly when I'm riding a stationary bike, etc. It has never caused me any pain, but I don't enjoy the feeling of riding a stationary bike as a result of this feeling. Dr. Pritchett says that the mechanics are such that the ball has to pop in and out of the cup as it rotates and feels that the sensation should still be there over time, so he doesn't know what to think of the significant number of patients who report this sensation disappearing over time.
Did any of you have this popping / clicking sensation early in your recovery? If so, when and to what degree did it go away?
A lot of us have had the same situation. I know I did until about a year went by, when it became very infrequent and then stopped. I think it has to do with the smaller muscles getting stronger and holding the assembly in better.
It does happen often, attenuates over time and then goes away is my experience. It happened on both of mine.
May of us have written of it, I think it's very normal.
Happens less and less
Happens all the time in the first 6 months or so. I commute now daily by bike and if I stop doing daily exercise (just a little) I'll notice the sensation more often. Doesn't hurt, but seems concerning,...BHR and all the all the docs that install the BHR and I believe the other MoM HR devices also have this sensation, very common. I still get the sensation, and it's mild, but only when I do a certain movement (twisting the torso).
I have had the very same conversation with Dr. Pritchett. It will subside over time, and become less perceptible. Partly, because your brain becomes used to the mechanics. Also, some of that clicking is related to the sacrotuberous ligament, slipping over the ischial tuberosity. I wrote in depth about this some time ago. But my physical therapist was able to induce and stop the clicking by manually pinning or palpating the ligament with his thumb.
At any rate, on my 1.5 year old BHR, I get very little clicking anymore. On the 7 month old right, it's moderate. Motions like brushing my teeth seem to induce it.
Thanks for the replies - sounds like I just need to be patient :)
Don't worry as time goes by it will freak you out less and less ;) then it will taper off and you'll forget about it. :)