I'm 50 years old now, about 2 years ago it started with not being able to sleep on the right side, seemed like a classic case of hip bursitis. My GP Dr. from the Veterans Administration injected it with cortisone but it did absolutely nothing, then a few months later a visiting VA ortho injected it and again nothing, a few months later he injected it once more, nothing.
Because I live on the small island of Kauai the VA system is just a clinic, so anything significant gets farmed out to the local civilian hospital. So next I saw the Dr. who does nearly all the hips on the island, Dr. Rovinsky who is well regarded locally. He tells me the other injections missed the bursa because it's so small, he does an injection while I am standing as opposed to laying down with the other injections. He tells me he is injecting it right into the joint??? I look back on this now and wonder why is he going straight into the joint for bursitis???
Immediately after this I am crippled, for a month I can barely hobble around. Previous to this I never even had a limp. Sports and long walks are now not possible.
So now off to physical therapy but after several months no change at all so they do an MRI but the machine here is no good and it shows nothing, next they send me to Honolulu for a contrast MRI at a special clinic where it shows partial tear of superior anterior labrum, bone spurring, a cyst, cartilage thinning, swelling, and even trochanter bursitis.
Dr. tells me I need a new hip but won't give me one because I am too young which is how I ended up here.
Question is why did this injection cripple me? Does any of this even matter?
Dr. tells me injection must have inflamed area and hip is just worn out from sports and years of working construction.