Guest guest Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Consider all that occurs during hip replacement.The femor is cut off and the ball/rod mechanism jammed into what remains. The pelvis is roto-routered and a new socket installed. Now, does the surgeon measure all this to the old joint where, probably, the joint space was non-existent, or does he follow dimensions that allow for when the joint space was there? Remember that it took the body many years to lose the joint space. How uneven were the legs without being realized? Is the other hip being replaced? What are the dimensional considerations because of this? My hip replacement leg is about 2 mm longer than the other leg. Plans are to compensate when the other is replaced. I cannot speak to leg length concerns where knee replacement is involved but I imagine the issues are similar. -----Original Message-----From: Abraham I. Gordon, Esq. [mailto:GordonAI@...]Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 10:55 AMJoint Replacement Subject: Short Legs I have been reading these emails and I am surprised at the large number of cases of patients who end up with shortened or lengthened legs. Recognizing that hip replacement is indeed a great achievement, I wonder why it is that leg length cannot be properly addressed. Does anyone have any thoughts on this topic? A. I. Gordon cathyk231@... wrote: In a message dated 12/18/2003 4:56:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, GHCRWC@... writes: hi , i am soon to be 45 yr old mom of 5. I had my left hip replaced last tuesday. ( 8 days ago) . i am doing very very well- except , my legs are not the same length. i am depressed about this- i feel so good but I am hobbling about. my surgical leg was a bit over 3/4 of an inch longer on day 3( i stood on various paperbacks to figure it out) then on day 6 it was a bit over 1/2 an inch.How ironic! I just had knee surgery 9 days ago and my "new leg" is now longer, quite a bit! The PT says not to worry, it will "settle" in. And a lift can be put in my opposite shoe to help compenstate. For now, she has me wearing a regular shoe on the unoperated leg and a slipper on the longer operated leg. I can't go outside yet so it's no big deal. This seems to even me out pretty much although I hate wearing a slipper as I'm not getting the arch support I need so my foot is aching now. I even though that perhaps my dr. did this to me as a guarantee that I'll go ahead with knee surgery on the shorter leg (ie. read: more money in his pocket!). It's an awful thought but until I see the Dr. for my one month visit, I won't know for sure the real reason.Perhaps you could try what I'm doing? Let me know how you're doing. I hope you're recovering nicely otherwise. Remember your exercises! That's what everyone keeps telling me! <G> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 My experience with leg length: All leg length differences don't necessarily result from the surgery. I had advanced osteoarthritis and went into surgery with about a 5/8 " difference that had developed over the years and that came to really bother me. What I don't know is whether I've always had some difference and that it increased with my OA, lack of activity, loss of cartilage, etc. It bothered me the most during the last couple of years before THR. I was surprised to note the SAME difference after surgery! Now, 2 years later, while there is still a clinical difference of about 1/3-1/2 " if it's measured precisely, it isn't bothersome. My theory is that the exercising I did to build my muscles after surgery made a difference some how. The only concession I make is to put a small lift in that shoe when I hike or work out and wear my sneakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2003 Report Share Posted December 30, 2003 Acc to my physician, the hip stem could, indeed, be lengthened to even out any discrepancies, however, depending on patient's age, it would be hard to also make these adjustments to the muscles and tendons, since they, too, would have to be stretched to the new length. anna -- In Joint Replacement , " Abraham I. Gordon, Esq. " <GordonAI@P...> wrote: > > I have been reading these emails and I am surprised at the large number of cases of patients who end up with shortened or lengthened legs. Recognizing that hip replacement is indeed a great achievement, I wonder why it is that leg length cannot be properly addressed. Does anyone have any thoughts on this topic? > > A. I. Gordon > > cathyk231@a... wrote: > In a message dated 12/18/2003 4:56:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, GHCRWC@a... writes: > > hi , i am soon to be 45 yr old mom of 5. I had my left hip replaced > last tuesday. ( 8 days ago) . i am doing very very well- except , > my legs are not the same length. > i am depressed about this- > i feel so good but I am hobbling about. my surgical leg was a bit > over 3/4 of an inch longer on day 3( i stood on various > paperbacks to figure it out) then on day 6 it was a bit over 1/2 an > inch. > > > How ironic! I just had knee surgery 9 days ago and my " new leg " is now longer, quite a bit! The PT says not to worry, it will " settle " in. And a lift can be put in my opposite shoe to help compenstate. For now, she has me wearing a regular shoe on the unoperated leg and a slipper on the longer operated leg. I can't go outside yet so it's no big deal. This seems to even me out pretty much although I hate wearing a slipper as I'm not getting the arch support I need so my foot is aching now. > I even though that perhaps my dr. did this to me as a guarantee that I'll go ahead with knee surgery on the shorter leg (ie. read: more money in his pocket!). It's an awful thought but until I see the Dr. for my one month visit, I won't know for sure the real reason. > Perhaps you could try what I'm doing? Let me know how you're doing. I hope you're recovering nicely otherwise. Remember your exercises! That's what everyone keeps telling me! <G> > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Hi, I had my THR in March as a result of congenital hip displacia, and my surgeon gave me back 3 inches, as the neck of my femur had never developed.. After getting over the stretched muscles etc that mentioned below, the worst thing has been my ears and balance. Nine months later, I am still gripping onto walls in the the higher floors of the builing I work in.. Caroline > > In a message dated 12/18/2003 4:56:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, > GHCRWC@a... writes: > > > > hi , i am soon to be 45 yr old mom of 5. I had my left hip > replaced > > last tuesday. ( 8 days ago) . i am doing very very well- except , > > my legs are not the same length. > > i am depressed about this- > > i feel so good but I am hobbling about. my surgical leg was a bit > > over 3/4 of an inch longer on day 3( i stood on various > > paperbacks to figure it out) then on day 6 it was a bit over 1/2 > an > > inch. > > > > > > How ironic! I just had knee surgery 9 days ago and my " new leg " > is now longer, quite a bit! The PT says not to worry, it > will " settle " in. And a lift can be put in my opposite shoe to help > compenstate. For now, she has me wearing a regular shoe on the > unoperated leg and a slipper on the longer operated leg. I can't go > outside yet so it's no big deal. This seems to even me out pretty > much although I hate wearing a slipper as I'm not getting the arch > support I need so my foot is aching now. > > I even though that perhaps my dr. did this to me as a guarantee > that I'll go ahead with knee surgery on the shorter leg (ie. read: > more money in his pocket!). It's an awful thought but until I see > the Dr. for my one month visit, I won't know for sure the real > reason. > > Perhaps you could try what I'm doing? Let me know how you're > doing. I hope you're recovering nicely otherwise. Remember your > exercises! That's what everyone keeps telling me! <G> > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 Tiffinee, I had mine done in March '03, and all stiffness is more or less gone.. My physio did ultrasound on the muscles twice a week, and doing my excerises in a swimming pool was probably the most useful to get them working, without being load bearing. Also, heat on the muscles, ie a hot water bottle really helped relax them. Especially after doing any excersises.. I do however still have quite a lot of pain at the end of my pin.. Apparently an after effect of being very young for the replacement. Hope this helps! Caroline > > > In a message dated 12/18/2003 4:56:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, > > GHCRWC@a... writes: > > > > > > hi , i am soon to be 45 yr old mom of 5. I had my left hip > > replaced > > > last tuesday. ( 8 days ago) . i am doing very very well- > except , > > > my legs are not the same length. > > > i am depressed about this- > > > i feel so good but I am hobbling about. my surgical leg was a > bit > > > over 3/4 of an inch longer on day 3( i stood on various > > > paperbacks to figure it out) then on day 6 it was a bit over 1/2 > > an > > > inch. > > > > > > > > > How ironic! I just had knee surgery 9 days ago and my " new leg " > > is now longer, quite a bit! The PT says not to worry, it > > will " settle " in. And a lift can be put in my opposite shoe to > help > > compenstate. For now, she has me wearing a regular shoe on the > > unoperated leg and a slipper on the longer operated leg. I can't > go > > outside yet so it's no big deal. This seems to even me out pretty > > much although I hate wearing a slipper as I'm not getting the arch > > support I need so my foot is aching now. > > > I even though that perhaps my dr. did this to me as a guarantee > > that I'll go ahead with knee surgery on the shorter leg (ie. read: > > more money in his pocket!). It's an awful thought but until I see > > the Dr. for my one month visit, I won't know for sure the real > > reason. > > > Perhaps you could try what I'm doing? Let me know how you're > > doing. I hope you're recovering nicely otherwise. Remember your > > exercises! That's what everyone keeps telling me! <G> > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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