Clunking noise?

[jjiam]

Well finally Friday, which was 3 weeks and 3 days, I went to one crutch for good.  I also drove last night, it didn't feel that good driving but oh well I have groceries I want now!  Here is my question, it kinda makes a clunking sound when I take a step forward, kind of a clunking sound. It doesn't hurt or anything when it makes that noise, so I'm wondering if anyone else has had this sound?  I also am currently walking evey day about half mile so far.  The good news is that if it starts feeling bad, I can sit down and it then feels better when I get up, so Pat your right, time is the answer!

[Pat Walter]

Hi
Glad to hear you are starting to feel better and getting down to one crutch.  It just takes more time for some people.

About the clunking - you sorta feel it more than hearing it.  I had it right from the start.  Dr. De Smet said it was because of my loose muscles after surgery.  I still get it now and then when I sit just right and sometimes when I lean over just in a certainl way.  It never hurt, but felt funny.  Not ha ha, but a strange feeling without any pain. It is a normal occurance for many people and should eventually go away.

Here is Dr. De Smets FAQ about it

54. What is clicking, clocking or clunking?
The clunking noises and clicking feeling in the first 6 months after surgery is a temporary decoaptation of both components. This means that the two big metal parts of the prosthesis come apart and come together again. Having a large diameter this gives no wear of the prosthesis and will not destroy anything. Because of the release of the capsule around the hip to be able to do a resurfacing procedure without sawing the head of, the hip joint is looser at the beginning. This is even more because of the badly trained muscles of the preoperative condition and all the fluid around the newly placed joint.
The clunking is painless and subsides once the capsule and muscles around the hip are fully healed. It occurs in the first 6 months after surgery and disappears progressively.
The incidence can be around 20% of all patients!

This finding should not be confused with local conflict problems with prosthesis or bone because of less ideal inserted implants. These will stay even after 6 months, will not become better, is painful and should be diagnosed by your physician.

Again, I am glad to hear you are feeling much better.  Keep in touch, don't overdo and keep walking.

Pat

[jjiam]

Thanks again Pat, but after reading those stories about what could happen if something goes wrong kinda scared me into a realization.  Is it true if you get a revision to your resurfacing, there is nothing they can do but turn it into a  total hip replacement?  The cant just replace the head or the acetabulum part or anything?  I never thought about that, if its true nothing but total hip can be done is disheartening.  I fought with my wife to get the resurfacing, and told her it was better than a total hip, so if I have to get a total hip, she would win, and I wouldn't hear the end of it.

[Pat Walter]

Hi

Actually, what your revision would be depends on your problems.  Some of the people with loose cups were able to get the cups repaired and kept their hip resurfacings. There have been 10 loose cups lately, but all were from less experienced surgeons.  A loose cup is basically surgeon error. You can read about that here http://www.surfacehippy.info/loosecups.php

The reason the cap part on the femur would loosen would be due to your own bone not continuing to hold the part.  Then normally you end up with a revision to a THR.  They would try to keep your acetabulum cup and only give you the femur part. That is good reason to walk a lot.  Weight bearing exercise builds bone density.

Don't worry so much.  You are doing well - don't think about revisions yet.  Even if that happened - you still win because you are able to live your life without pain.

When you decide what surgery you want - it should always be your own decision. It is nice to have others support you, but it is your hip and your decision. You made the right decision because you still have your whole femur bone left for a revision later in life if you need it.  That alone is enough reason to start with a hip resurfacing.

Who cares whether she thinks she won or lost - it is your hip.  I am a wife and I would try to explain what I thought was best for my hubby, but never nag him over his decision.  This hip replacment stuff is major surgery and very tramutic as it is, you don't need to be fighting over what was best.  You made your decision and as far as 90,000+ of us are concerned that have hip resurfacings, you made the right one.

Take it easy. Walk and have fun.

Pat