soreness after one year

[Timbo]

I am going in for my one year check up soon of my BHP and although most pain and discomfort has subsided over the first six months, I still have a soreness, like a bruiseing feeling, or like someone has punched me around the surgery area as the day wears on. I can walk still normally and after fast walking in the gym for a couple of laps it tends to almost go away. However, the next day, although gone when I wake up, it gets sore again as the day progresses. I am completely fine in the sitting or lying positions as the weight is taken off of my hip.


I am assuming this might not be the normal situation with people who get this procedure. I am wondering if anyone else has had this situation. I have been told by other hip replacement recepients that some people take up to a year to completely feel free any discomfort. But my year is up. I guess I can live with this as it is much better than before but is this normal? Has anyone else experienced this?

It would be nice to get some impute from others before I get my battery of x-rays and visit the doctor for his thoughts.     

[DirkV]

Hi Timbo,
This is such a hard question. I'm almost at the same timeframe as you. I consider the surgery and recovery a mindblowing success. That said, I can still tell I had surgery. It's hard compare because compared to my state immediately before surgery, I'm incomparably better. Compared to 6 years ago, I'm probably a bit worse overall. But of course, I'm 6 years older too.
Specifically, I still have tenderness or a feeling that's not quite normal around the incision. And muscles are still recovering. And ROM is still recovering. But the benchmark I'm comparing against is riding centuries on my road bike (could do that now) and playing fairly competitive ice hockey as goalie (not sure I could do that yet). Good news is that I feel like I'm still getting better and better.
Good luck,
-Dirk

[Bionic]

I would talk this over with your doctor, Timbo.  Have you noticed whether this pain has been at a steady level for several months, or is it still getting better, albeit ever so slowly?

Can you identify any particular motion or muscle group that brings on the pain?

[takilasunrise]

I don't experience anything I would call pain on a regular basis, but I still feel pressure in the area when I turn my hip certain ways.  Or if I try to bend farther then "normal".  And if the dogs jump on me just right, my scar still has some tenderness.  Maybe twice in the last few months did I actually feel pain and it was associated with sitting on my dining room chair...it was almost as though my hip got "stuck" and didn't want to move, and it caused a shooting pain.  Other than that, I do forget at times that I even had surgery! 

[teeto]

Hi Timbo, I thought you might find this info useful.
My surgeon, who has done over 1000 of these procedures told me that after 12 months you still only have 50% of your elastin back in the scar tissue around the prosthesis. It will take until 18 months for it to be back to 100%. This means that the joint will not "spring" back into shape as quickly until as normal tissue & so feels stiff especially after you have sat on something hard.
I would say your discomfort at 12 months is quite normal.