to all dysplasia people....please read...and anyone else who knows.

January 11, 2004

what exactly is considered DYSPASIA??? at my last consult it was

determined i had a slight leg length discrepancy that is probably the

cause of my hip wearing out so young. i grew a whopping 6 and 1/2

inches to 5'9'' in summer between the third and fourth grade..just

the summer..and then topped out at 5'11'' at maturity. i figure my

problems started there. because of this, and from that point on in

my life my mother recalls having to hem my clothing from the ground

up to get a level hem all the way around..instead of being able to do

it the easy way from the waist down. nothing was ever easy with me,

i guess. she remembers this differnce to be about a half inch and a

later in life accident that sent me to a chiropractor for relief

resulted in the chiropractor noticing that one of my hips was 5/8''

higher than the other and he leveled me out with a heel lift inside

my shoe that i have to admit i abandoned until my pain of hip

degeneration began..for a few months the heel lift helped again, but

then the pain again got worse and now i am at this point...needing

surgery.

at my OS consult for a conserve plus device the OS said that he

doesn't really think i should CHANGE that leg length discrepancy at

this point in time in my life as maybe the rest of my skeletal

structure is well adjusted to the discrepancy and lengthening it

could result in bigger problems or the feeling that one leg is WAY

longer than the other, forever.

here's my question for anyone that has been to de smet with dysplasia

problems. is that dysplasia??? and if so..did they wind up with a

dysplasia cup??? if that IS what is considered dysplasia...please

let me know the extent of your dysplasia...and if you have seen any

doc's in the US who CANNOT correct leg length discrepancy with the

two devices used here (which they can't, if they are congenital and

within slight reason)

my doc says i have to be prepared for a THR in the event that my leg

length is one that SHOULD be corrected...does de smet's BHR dyplasia

cup address my problem???

i am beside myself with fear that the wrong OS choice because of the

device limitations here may cause me to wake up with a THR...as i am

still willing to go to belgium if that is what might make the

difference.. " the adjustability " of the BHR. and..IS that REALLY the

kind of adjustability i am assuming it is???

MLW

needing a left and maybe a right down the road.

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