Ironically enough I just was bragging about how great my HRA was doing. This month I have noticed some tenderness around the bone area and some sore groin muscles. I would say the discomfort is at a 2 and as of now isn't preventing me from my activities. It is the worst after getting out of bed in the a.m. , but if I warm up and exercise it feels pretty normal.
I am a competitive pole dancer and routinely push my range of motion to the limits.

I plan on getting an xray done this week and submitting to Dr. Gross but am just curious for anyone out there whose HRA had failed... how long did you wait before revision? I have had mine for almost 9 years, am a 51 yr old highly active person. I knew this time would come eventually but not so soon!  :'(

Thanks!
Aimee

Hi Aimee,
Sorry to hear that you have some worries about your HRA. In addition to x-rays, Dr. Gross may order blood tests to measure metal levels and an MRI to look for fluid build up. You may discover that your implant is just fine and the pain is coming from something else. As you say, your dancing pushes the range of motion a lot.
I had a revision in Sept 2018, after 12 good years. Unlike you, I had no symptoms; however a MARS MRI showed the beginning of fluid build up in the hip capsule. I decided to address it before it got any worse, so I went forward with the revision. My surgeon replaced the metal acetabulum cup with a poly lined cup. Recovery was smooth.
You’re in good hands with Dr Gross and I’m sure he’ll advise you well.

Hi There,

Thanks so much for your reply!
Question, did you actually retain your HRA? You said just the acetabular cup was replaced? I didn't know that could be done... maybe I may have an alternative than to jump right into a THR...

also, how could you do MRI? I thought with MOM implants that would be impossible...

Hi Aimee,

I have read that it is possible to revise a resurfacing to another resurfacing in some cases, depending on the reason for revision. Dr. Pritchett appears to be an expert in this area and has published on it. I tried to attach the article for your reference, but it’s too large.  I believe other surgeons can do it as well. So there’s hope. The article is entitled “Revision Hip Resurfacing” and can be found under Pritchett’s name at Pubmed.gov.
It’s probably best to let Dr. Gross assess the situation first though. You may not want to jump the gun, since it could be something else, or a problem that could be addressed non-surgically.

See if this link works:

https://www.seattlejointsurgeon.com/pdf/journals/revision-hip-resurfacing.pdf


Good luck!

thanks so much!

Aimee, I retained my resurfacing joint. Dr Pritchett replaced the cup only. I happen to fall into a category of high risk patients who have had some problems: small frame with small components. Dr Pritchett surmised that my body was losing the ability to metabolize the metal ions from the MOM joint. The MRI is called a MARS MRI.
Because I had no noticeable (to me) symptoms, I sought opinions from Dr. Pritchett, Dr. Raterman, Dr. Gross and Dr. De Smet. I sent them my images and blood ion counts. Dr. Gross recommended monitoring the situation; the other 3 docs recommended revision. Dr Pritchett was my original surgeon in 2006, and he explained what he thought he could do to retain the HR. We talked on the phone and via email. He’s a man of few words but he will answer any question you have and, in my opinion, does not push a procedure on his patients. He left the decision up to me. I vaccillated for a few months but then made my mind up to do it.
I live in Florida now, but traveled back to Seattle for the procedure. Am glad I made the decision I did.

In case no one has looked up Aimee's Southern Competition Performance- its worth a look if just to watch an extreme sport.  The degree of flexibility and ROM she demonstrates made me wince and inspired me at the same time.  It's on You Tube- just punch in pole slayer and be prepared for  things going beyond your imagination.  Go Aimee.

Hi Aimee - we're about the same age, I'm having my HRA w Dr Gross next week, and I'm hoping to return to ballet (although I watched one of your pole dancing videos and am tempted!). I was thrilled to see how well you're able to dance after HRA, and so sorry to hear that you were experiencing difficulty as of several months ago.

If you're willing to share, I'd love to hear an update on your situation.