range of motion, 6 months, specifically straddle position

[lizard]

Couple questions for those more experienced.  I'm at 6 months, normal stuff doesn't hurt. But I used to be super flexible (a benefit of my abnormal acetabular shape), so I used to be able to sit on the floor in a straddle with my legs out really wide.  Now if I try to go very far at all out with my left new hip, I have sharp lateral pain.  That hasn't changed in months and months.  I started thinking, maybe this is the new normal because I have a new acetabulum which is oriented at a less steep angle.  Any experience with this?  I'm not tight in the groin, the sharp pain is antero-lateral, deep.  If I do end up with this restricted range of motion, will it always hurt so sharply?   I'd like to be able to do yoga and a cartwheel!  I still have some mild clunky feelings with some normal things, but no pain, so I decided not to be concerned about that.


Thanks!

[vonhouser]

How is it compared to your non-operated hip? Are they the same?

[Quig]

In my opinion your range of motion and pain level will both continue to improve for some time to come.

[blinky]

I think you will improve, but not achieve previous levels of flexibility.


Look up posts by Juno. She got lots of flexibility back. She might describe how she did it.


I was still pretty stiff at six months. I could sit cross legged, but not for very long. I could touch my toes with straight legs, but not for a sustained period. Both of those are easier now, two years out. I can sit cross legged comfortably for at least twenty minutes at a time (just did it, waiting, sitting on the floor), can jump and kick to waist high in a dance like move. DK if I can kick over my head while standing on one leg. I can NOT sit with my legs as far apart as I could preop, but like you, I had a deformed hip socket that made crazy flexibility possible. With a more normal hip joint I expect to have more normal range of motion. I admit I haven't worked on flexibility, though.

[lizard]

                          How is it compared to your non-operated hip? Are they the same?
-- No, vastly different.  Not a big deal in day to day life, But I'd be afraid to try a kickboxing class or a dance class that had kicking.  I have seen some improvement, but minimal.  But I'm not known for my patience.
I've read Juno's post and have pretty good flexibility forward-backward direction, like a runner's lunge, just no straddle ability.  Not only is it so dissimilar to my nonoperative hip, but also, it just doesn't seem like a normal range of motion.   Is there anyway for me to send a message to Juno to ask her -- she seems much like me in age and some activities  -- or do I just have to hope she reads this and chimes in?
Does anyone else still have a fair amount of clunking?  I just started running, and I haven't noticed it with this.

[ErikG]

Lizard, compared to me you're doing great. At six months my rom was extremely limited. Now 16 months after second hip resurfaced I'm finally making some decent progress. A good friend had his hip resurfaced and is a professional ballet dancer. It's taken him about 2.5 years to get to a point where he's satisfied but still not as flexible as when his hip was healthy. Just keep at it and be patient.

[ErikG]

And while my left resurfaced hip never had any clunking my right one has for 16 months now but finally subsiding significantly. From what others say it just takes time.

[lizard]

I keep hoping time will heal, but it doesn't seem to change at all.  I afraid to "work at it" bcs I'm afraid I will do damage.  I was an athlete before.  I am pretty young, 48, and am scared and getting depressed.  It doesn't hurt like stretching, it hurts like sharp pain where the tissues are compressed.  Does anyone know anything about abutment?  I haven't googled that, thought I'd ask if anyone knows anything.  I mean after all, my new cup is at a totally different angle/position than my native, so maybe it's in the way now?


Liz

[surratt]

nice to hear these longer term situations as far as flexibility and improvement, only being 4 weeks out I need to keep that in mind.  Although I cant relate to you and Blinkys situation bc i has femoracetabular impingement so my flexibility was bad from birth. When I finally looked at the x-rays i understood why i had so many problems with kicking to the head in my kickboxing no matter how much i stretched.


Lol Im more flexible at 4 weeks post op than I have been in years, i was unable to bend my knee much past 90 on the bad side and even low kicks to the legs werent a possibility anymore so Im happy as a clam so far.