wait six months or a year???

[Glsec507]

I am a 28 yr old male and had my left hip done on Jan 25th, 2013 by Dr Brooks of the Cleveland Clinic.  He doesnt want me running for a year.  Ok, I get why and for the most part I dont have an issue with that.  But why does he and some others say a year and a lot of other surgeons say only six months until no restrictions?  I dont want to hurt myself but I want to start preparing for a police academy as soon as I can so next year i am fully ready.

Is my doctor just being overly cautious whereas others are not or what?  6 months or a year.....why the difference in opinions?

[Dannywayoflife]

Bone mineral density tests show that it takes 12 months to fully heal. At 6 months its most of the way there but why risk anything even if its only a fraction of a chance?

[Glsec507]

So if it takes that long why don't all surgeons say to wait a year?   I guess I'm just confused because it doesn't make sense that some say 6 months and some say a year. 

[Dannywayoflife]

Your guess is as good as mine. Like I say I think that because most of the helping is done by 6 months they figure that's enough. There's a good piece on here somewhere by a radioligist about how long it takes to heal. I was told to wait a year and figured that a conservative approach would pay in the end.

[chuckm]

I researched this topic quite a bit. There are some top surgeons who actually allow impact sports like running at three months...but only a few. Most have settled on 6 months. And there are still quite a few who recommend one year which was sort of a benchmark when resurfacing was new. But over the last 5-10 years the results are coming back that surgeons are seeing how soon their patients are going back to running with no bad effects and have so have changed to 6 months.
The neck fracture risk period is past at 6 months based on all resurfacing results. But, if your original diagnosis was OA then risk of fracture is really low.

The one thing that I can't seem to find in the research is why the surgeons will give a young strong large boned athlete the same "wait" period as a sedate soft-boned older patient.

I would recommend talking to your surgeon about your time table to see if he can tailor a faster recovery plan based on your young age.

Chuckm

 

[stevel]

Dr. Brooks explains his reasons in "Running after hip resurfacing," which is at the top of the list, under "Recently Added Information" at the home page of this website.  Other Doctors also explain their reasons.

[Dannywayoflife]

Just read the reply by Dr Brooke's very well explained I think. Like I've said before from watching pretty much every resurfacing video I could find I noticed the difference in cement technique with the different devices. I thought that the bhr technique made most sense and it seems to be well proven.

Hay I was 28 when I had my left hip resurfaced to! What was the cause of yours of you don't mind me asking?

Danny

[Glsec507]

I have osteoarthritis.  And it is starting in the right hip now also.  Im also 6'6" so that plays a role in the weak joints.  I am very pleased with the surgery but sometimes I wish I got the doctor who said 6 months instead of a year?  Unfortunately the timing is not in my favor here. 

[Dannywayoflife]

Mate 12 months will go fast enough at our young age is it really worth any extra risk in the long run of a revision just for 6months?
I was climbing the walls at some points but I want this to last a long long time. Have you had any deep tissue massage to help break up the scar tissue yet?

[Glsec507]

No I haven't even thought of that.   I find the scar adds character anyway.

[Dannywayoflife]

The scar tissue in your soft tissues can really hinder you if you don't get on it mate. The scar on your skin will never go but if you want to get back to sports then you need to break down as much scar tissue in the soft tissues. You can never get rid of the scar tissue but you can break some of it up and make it finer.

[Glsec507]

How would the scar tissue hinder anything and what exactly would it affect?   

[hernanu]

Scar tissue can have many effects on muscular healing.

It can cause shortening of muscles, can trap nerves, shorten the range of motion for a particular area, since it binds muscles that are intended to move freely.

It is a byproduct of healing of any area; it is caused by the 'glue' used by the body to seal a wound. Just like any other glue, it can overstep its desired boundaries and attach to uninjured areas.

Here's a good description:

http://www.activerecoveryboston.com/general_scar.html

It is a good thing to avoid its accumulation when possible, since freeing the muscles to move properly is what we want.

[Dannywayoflife]

As usual hern beat me to it!

[kimberly52]

I am wondering whether to get back to running sooner than a year if running on groomed trails might be an acceptable option.  I am speaking about those with no roots, rocks, etc. and beautifully groomed with soft wood chips.  I know after years of running on the roads the pounding our joints take a toll (otherwise I wouldn't be here  )and there is certainly less pounding on well groomed trails.

My post op protocol indicates that at 2 weeks an elliptical trainer is fine to use.  So the motion is the same as running for the most part less the pounding.

I am going to get Dr. Clarke's take on the groomed trails when I see him on Tuesday. Not that I am ready yet but I would like to resume running at my 6-month mark but definitely do not want to screw anything up!

Actually I enjoy trail running more than the roads anyway so I hope this will be an option.

[David]

My opinion after the fact and at 1yr 9 mo...would be to start at 6 months if you are comfortable, but concentrate on strengthening more up to the 1 yr mark.  From my experience it takes that long to feel normal.  I don't think you are compromising the integrity of the BHR by starting to dabble at 6 mo though.  We are all different and you need to listen to your body and its' response more than anything else.
DG