Infection and tear of internal stitches

[40 yr athlete]

Hey all, after reading posts for a few days I decided to join the forum. So much great experience based information on here I am thankful to find this site!

A little back ground: had discomfort for a number of years ( high pain threshold ) and a thinning of the cartilage. Surgeon said candidate for THR in all likelihood 10 years at 50 yrs of age. Then I had a traumatic event where the xrays showed the thin cartilage had been severed in half. At this point Surgeon advised time to go ahead and suggested the BHR. The pain and lack of most mobility prompted me to go ahead.

Things are definitely better than prior to surgery 
Without going into to much detail here is my story and request for assistance from anyone who has experienced a similar situation.
- A week after having the staples removed I noticed a plastic internal suture coming out of the bottom of my incision
- advised to cover in polysporin and it would be ok hopefully
- a week later developed an infection, a round of antibiotics cured that
- at the the 6 week post op mark I was doing my physio, light 15 degree squats while holding onto a support
- I heard a audible "pop" and then a quivering / fluttering of the quadricep followed by a snapping feeling and a full / rockhard muscle in the area of my hip flexor and extreme pain that dropped me to the floor
- PT and GP initially though I had a lateral rupture in my quad
- Back to see the Surgeon immediately. Dr. unsure as he has never heard of this before but believed that the sutures had snapped and let go. After feeling the quad he explained that it would be like pulling a shoe lace out from the bottom and that didn't believe there was a rupture and that the sutures were likely all up in the area of my hip flexor. In all this would likely set me back a few weeks
- I am now 10 mths out and wondering if anyone out there has had a similar experience and how long the rehab took. I am religious with my exercise / stretching plan. Have been assigned to a desk at work and sitting seems to be more harm then just being active and moving around
- Staying as positive as possible but feeling like a Guiney pig at times.

Sorry tried to stay as short as possible. Not that I wish this on anyone but really hope someone has some encouraging information.

Thanks

[blinky]

I have heard of internal stitches making their way out, so called "spitting stitches."It isn't uncommon. The other piece of your puzzle...that is new to me.


What can you do and not do now? Does it hurt? Are you weak?

[MattJersey]

Sounds very unpleasant. I didn't properly understand though: at about six weeks this happened, and now you're at ten months still with problems? I suppose I would have expected surgeon to open you up, re-fix and close again, but seems this didn't happen ... and you're still suffering, with what symptoms?


I know my contemporary from April 2015, Comfortably Numb, suffered a bad fall and was looking at some serious muscle damage, hip ok I believe, and maybe he has some wisdom on this. Not seen him active on the boards recently though, hope he is out there making progress on that rehab.


Good luck.


M

[LMS]

I remember when I had my scope done, I was told to massage the incision areas (holes though, not like you, a long scar) & I was massaging (deep tissue massage, hurt like a sob) & one are popped inside.  It was so weird.  For me, I was told it was normal.

[karlos.bell]

Hi 40 year athlete.

I am 14 month and still working on it. Depends on how long you had the issue and how long you were disabled. I was 7 years on crutches. I now do not need them. Ok what I have experienced and I had both hips done.

 Prime moving muscles take over (that is gluts quads tensor iliopsoas) etc...aductors , abductors.

IF  THE Rotor muscles are not working.!!!!!
When the hip fails these seem to be the weak ones and get hammered first by the arthritic changes and or inflammation - the joint seems to shut down but the body in itself to keep going so it kicks in the prime movers to keep you active.

Ok get and keep the prime movers working then concentrate back onto the rotor muscles.
These are little muscles that internal rotate external rotate and when your leg is flexed rotate internal and external when extended rotate internal and external when standing etc.....
You will need a theraband or bungee for resistance and if you want take some good salt on food.
Unless you realize that you already have a high salt diet. This is for electrolyte, muscle strength and I found it helps heaps. Rock salt....

The combinations of rotator muscles is massive compared with just doing squats. I found this kept the prime mover happy but the leg was still wobbly as hell.
Look up Rotor muscles and you will see what I mean.

Now I have had 3 operations right side and 2 left side. More for FAI and now hopefully the last for replacement. I have experienced exactly this and could not recover from the FAI due to the wear in the hip. I am however massively recovering from this surgery but remember I have had 2 hips torn apart from already weak hips to start with and its working. When now I work on a group of muscles they get stronger as before it stayed the same. Yes I can frog leap with a teraband (strong between my legs no issue) but that is because I worked on my glut medius.....  Get the picture...
That is not helping my rotators. The movement of the rotators if you look mechanically is only maybe 15 - 25 degrees so that should be the full exercise. It is not much. You need to be as strong in the front of the hip as behind in the rear (quads verses ham, verses glut max) getting these rotators working well sorts all that out better for you and keeps the hip well positioned in the joint.

I am no physio but this is exactly what I have experienced and found out through the surgeries I have had and nope I do not like surgery it is a massive undertaking for the body.
It is painfull and can be counterproductive if not performed properly for the correct reasons.

I have seen many physio all with there own opinion and I have collated all of it together and made up my own.

Maybe you can too or anyone reading this as muscular health and joints are not all plain sailing stuff. They are still learning about issues with them and the treatment about it all so one sometimes has a go at it themselves. Yep I can run but that's not going to help me when I want to hurdle over a fence or flex and twist the foot side ways when tramping or running on uneven ground. The hips muscels at that point may just be weak and the hip will give way.

So I hope that answers some questions and it is a massively complicated machine the hip and to get it back into working order when weak is a massive undertaking. The shorter the weak period the better I can vouch for that.

So just doing squats in my opinion nope does not do sometimes diddly at all just squats..... how is the rest of the hip muscles that I have explained. Check them out your self its not too hard or if you need some more help on how to I identify them email me. No probs.

Other than that keep the hip moving helps heaps. Sitting down as you have said does not help... Sitting will help if the correct muscles are strengthened for rest.
When up to total strength you may be able to use them all day think of that.........

Cheers K