1st Year Check Up

by Pamela
(Hip Replacement and Recovery)

I had my one year check up today. Which was good timing as my hip has been playing up a bit! Sometimes, though rarely, it makes a horrible grating sound and sometimes, again rarely, it vibrates.

The first time it started vibrating I thought I’d put my mobile in my pocket and set it to vibrate. Both unusual for me. It was so realistic I actually reached to get it out.

I’d heard of people complaining of grating hips before but not vibrating ones and I suspected that the registrar would think I was imagining it. Not a bit. He said its not so unusual but no one really knows why. The down side is that it could mean its developing into a squeaky hip. If you haven’t heard one of these before pop over to you tube and have a listen. Definitely not something you’d want.

The registrar said that current thinking was that as all things have a resting vibration that these might resonate off each other causing them to amplify.

He said it was something he’d have to look into but I guess not too hard as my next appointment is nor for another year.

The other problem with the hip is that it hurts a bit on the outside. I laid down on the examining table on my left side (operated hip is the right one). The registrar prodded it hard with one finger. I squeeked “ow - that hurts!” (gritting my teeth). He moved his finger and prodded again “okay” I said. He went for a third and final prod and I made a howling sounds and lifted off the table. We agreed he didn’t need to do that again.

Diagnosis trochanteric bursitis.

Talk about coming full circle - that was the initial diagnosis I got back in December 2008 when the physiotherapist first referred me for a surgical assessment. At that time I walking into the surgeon’s office expecting to be told I’d need some minor procedure to be met with “forget about the bursitis what about the severe osteoarthritis you’ve got in both hips – you’ll need those replaced”. SHOCK!

So it felt like coming full circle to be back with the initial diagnosis one year and one hip later.

I’ve been given anti-inflammatories and told to sleep on my back. Sleep on my back! Ha - you must be joking its not possible. I can nod off okay but as soon as I’m asleep I just turn over/. I’ve been trying to sleep more on my front and that does take the pressure of my hip.


Why has this happened? Well during the operation the bursa is cut and as a result it’s a lot more sensitive and prone to inflammation. How long for? Didn’t know – perhaps for ever. (By the way the bursa is a little sack of fluid that help your muscle move smoothly over the bone)

Enough of my hip – we moved on to my knee. He looked at the X ray, his eyes opened wide and he made a strange noise before offering to put me on the operating list for a total knee replacement. Pretty well Mr Witt’s (the consultant) reaction six months previously but without the look of surprise and the strange noise! I’ve said no again. The physiotherapy exercises I’ve been doing really seem to work. I think they work to hold the joint in place so that fact there’s a bit missing isn’t such an issue.

He accepted by decision but warned that “One day you’ll come crawling back to us – literally - for surgery” I so agree - but sufficient until the day is the evil thereof.

Not that I like to call Mr Witt’s wonderful work evil but…

I’ve started reading up on trochanteric bursitis and will try and get something up on the site soon. It is a definitely associated with hip replacement surgery so something we should all know about.

One thing I did ask was whether knee replacements are metal-on-metal –

Him: “No” he replied “they have a bit of polyethylene in between the two metal surfaces”.
Me: “So no little metal bits shedding?”
Him: “No bits of metal shedding but they are finding some issues with polyethylene leading to loosening of the prosthesis”.
Me: sighs

I’ll do a bit of research on that as well.

Seems like ceramic-on-ceramic might still be the best option even if you end up with one that sings as you walk.

Until the next time
Pamela