Arthritic hip anyone?

[firemedic 7]

I was recently diagnosed with Moderate to Marked arthritis in my right hip. For about a year I've been experiencing intermittent pain and now have a noticeable limp. I've read from several individuals that are skydiving with a hip replacement. That was one of the options the physician offered as a possibility. I don't want that option if I can avoid it. Who's gone through this process and how did you deal with it.

[howardwhite 3]

The longer you wait, the more it will hurt. I've got about 500 jumps on a Titanium hip.

HW

[firemedic 7]

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The longer you wait, the more it will hurt. I've got about 500 jumps on a Titanium hip.

HW

Are you referring to the pain of the arthritis or the pain from surgery and rehab?

[howardwhite 3]

Arthritis. My hip was clicking -- bone to bone.
The surgery and recover was relatively painless. I spent two weeks in a nursing home doing rehab.

HW

[firemedic 7]

Ugh, doesn't sound like much fun at all. I'm not clicking yet and since my insurance company denied approval for an MRI it looks like they are going to force me to either pay for it out of pocket or go with the PT, medication route until I do start clicking and they have no choice.

[howardwhite 3]

Why do you need an MRI? An X-ray should give your ortho all he/she needs to know.
When my doc saw my x-rays, he said "you must have a high threshold for pain."
"Give me two weeks to order the parts."

HW

[firemedic 7]

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Why do you need an MRI? An X-ray should give your ortho all he/she needs to know.
When my doc saw my x-rays, he said "you must have a high threshold for pain."
"Give me two weeks to order the parts."

HW

The last line just kind a struck me funny,
sounds like when your talking to the guy at the auto parts store

Physician won't recommend surgery without MRI. Insurance won't pay with the symptoms I have right now. The symptoms aren't severe enough.

[howardwhite 3]

That's what I thought too. I think the "system" is trying to screw you>

HW

[PiLFy 0]

X-rays only show bone. MRIs image soft tissues. If his hip was bone on bone? You can see that from the spacing in an X-ray. You can also see the Femoral head breaking down from the abrasion.

[firemedic 7]

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That's what I thought too. I think the "system" is trying to screw you>

HW

I think that is what insurance companies live for.
I was reading the rejection letter today. They rejected it because I don't have the clicking you were experiencing, no painful limp, which I do actually have, sometimes. And pain on motion, which I actually do have, sometimes.

[ltdiver 3]

Check out Hip Resurfacing. A Perris skydiver had both of his hips resurfaced a few years back after suffering severe arthritic pains for quite awhile. Best move he ever did, he reports. He can walk pain free and is skydiving better than ever.

Your doctor has to do a work-up on you to see if you're eligible for this procedure, but if you are it's much better than the traditional (and more easily dislocated) hip replacement.

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[firemedic 7]

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Check out Hip Resurfacing. A Perris skydiver had both of his hips resurfaced a few years back after suffering severe arthritic pains for quite awhile. Best move he ever did, he reports. He can walk pain free and is skydiving better than ever.

Your doctor has to do a work-up on you to see if you're eligible for this procedure, but if you are it's much better than the traditional (and more easily dislocated) hip replacement.

Thanks, I've never heard of this as an option. I'll bring it up next visit.

[ripcords 0]

The way the doctors explained it to me was that replacements only last so long (currently 10-15 years typically). They can do a second replacement when the first wears out, but to do so they have to remove the previous replacement and you lose a lot of your femur in the process. So there is a limit as to how many times they can replace your hip. Hence most doctors encourage you to hold off for as long as you can stand it.

I made about 10,000 jumps on a painfully arthritic hip. I just had the replacement done last year. The first thing I noticed was the lack of pain. I did not realize how much pain I had been living with until it was no longer there.

I had a total hip replacement, but first looked into getting my hip resurfaced. The good thing about a resurfacing is after a resurfacing wears out, you can get a hip replacement. So however many years you get on the resurfaced hip are "bonus" years in my mind. Unfortunately my hip was not eligible for a resurfacing.

Although I currently believe hip surgery to be life changing in a positive way, I would definitely weigh all of your options before moving forward with it.

[firemedic 7]

Quote

The way the doctors explained it to me was that replacements only last so long (currently 10-15 years typically). They can do a second replacement when the first wears out, but to do so they have to remove the previous replacement and you lose a lot of your femur in the process. So there is a limit as to how many times they can replace your hip. Hence most doctors encourage you to hold off for as long as you can stand it.

I made about 10,000 jumps on a painfully arthritic hip. I just had the replacement done last year. The first thing I noticed was the lack of pain. I did not realize how much pain I had been living with until it was no longer there.

I had a total hip replacement, but first looked into getting my hip resurfaced. The good thing about a resurfacing is after a resurfacing wears out, you can get a hip replacement. So however many years you get on the resurfaced hip are "bonus" years in my mind. Unfortunately my hip was not eligible for a resurfacing.

Although I currently believe hip surgery to be life changing in a positive way, I would definitely weigh all of your options before moving forward with it.

I've been doing a lot of reading on the replacement vs resurfacing procedure. I was approved for the MRI, finally, and I meet with the Dr next week. I'm hoping I can get by with a resurfacing because I'm only 53 and I would really like to wait for as long as possible before I have to consider the total hip replacement. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[firemedic 7]

Well, the saga continues. Met with Orthopedic Surgeon today.

He said I am definitely a candidate for either a resurfacing of the hip joint or a full hip replacement. I've done a good bit of research on the resurfacing and it looks like a better option at my relatively young age when it comes to these kinds of procedures. I would like to know, for those of you who have had this done, how long did it take to get back in the air and what kind of changes you've made to your skydiving, i.e., equipment choices, skydiving disciplines ect, etc. etc.