Hip replaced….now what?

[jessand]

I had hip replaced Jan 2021, was back on the road in May, doing 50 mile rides in September. Completed 2000 by the end of the year. I know several others from the club who've done the same. Then again we're all different. The cautions you were given generally apply for the first 6 weeks after the op, which is appropriate.
Can you do the obvious things like put your socks on as you would have before the op, can you pull the operated leg up to your chest pretty much as far as your other leg? If so, unless the advice given to you was specifically due to your paticular medical condition, you carry on cycling as before. I started with 10 minute gentle rides on the flat then built up to 5 then 10 then 15 etc., being sensible about the effort I put in. I did start on the turbo after 6 weeks and did a couple of minutes with no resistance turning my legs slowly and gently then increased to 10 mins over a couple of weeks. It was so boring that I rode up and down the road after that! Drop the bike down and put your leg over gently - you don't need to raise your leg that much.
Most importantly stop if anything hurts, do everything gently to start with. What works for others may not work for you, your body will tell if it's not right. Good luck!

 

[Accy cyclist]

I had my appointment with the hip op' chap this aft'. It's official, I have osteoarthritis in my right hip where they fitted a dynamic screw 5.5 years ago. He offered me the choice of physiotherapy or a hip replacement. I took the replacement option. It's likely to be done in about 6 months, he told me. He also said I'd be encouraged to weight bear on it after 2 to 3 days which shouldn't be a problem as I'm only 69 kilos/10.9 stone and 6ft. My main fear is having those anti blood clotting abdominal injections after the operation. The nurse told me it'll only be for 10 days, with the rest of the month having aspirin. She also said, seeing as I'm over 60 and live on my own I'll be entitled to a district nurse daily visit for the month of recuperation.

 

[Hudson1984]

Yeah the stomach jabs are a little painful but that’s mostly because you do them yourself so it can go either easily or painful depending on the spot you pick.

 

[ColinJ]

My main fear is having those anti blood clotting abdominal injections after the operation.

They sting a bit but even as a needle-phobic I didn't find the injections themselves too worrying - the needles are pretty small...

Yeah the stomach jabs are a little painful but that’s mostly because you do them yourself so it can go either easily or painful depending on the spot you pick.

... but I didn't want to do them myself so a practice nurse did them for me. (That might not be quite so straightforward to organise now though with the pressure that Covid is putting on the NHS?)

 

[Accy cyclist]

Yeah the stomach jabs are a little painful but that’s mostly because you do them yourself so it can go either easily or painful depending on the spot you pick.

'Selfie' injections?! I can't do them, being an ex, but still festering needle phobic. That's why they said they'd send a district nurse to do it.

 

[vickster]

My mother had oral anti coags after her recent hip replacement, no injections.
I had to do them to myself for 3 weeks after my ankle op as I was non weight bearing. Got tedious, lots of bruising but not especially painful

 

[Accy cyclist]

My mother had oral anti coags after her recent hip replacement, no injections.
I had to do them to myself for 3 weeks after my ankle op as I was non weight bearing. Got tedious, lots of bruising but not especially painful

I'd just faint as soon as I saw the needle! I can only take injections by not looking at them. Injecting yourself with your head turned away isn't wise i'd say!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Just wondering where the district nurse will park her heavy steel, black bike with a basket on the front, when she comes round here.🤔

 

[Fredo76]

I dislocated my first hip replacement mounting my Triumph motorcycle to ride to physical therapy (which I can't imagine going without after one of these operations, btw). After three more dislocations, they made a 'revision', and I've been fine since, but I avoid twisting motions when my foot is planted.

Which "approach" did they use (anterior or posterior)? They told me that the only thing I had to worry about was excessive rearward extension, but they were wrong, in my case (anterior approach for me, with scars in front). The restrictions are different depending on which way they went in, but I would be wary of twisting either past its range. The whole point is to avoid a dislocation in the first place, because they will tend to keep happening until they are 'revised'. After the revision, my left leg was 3/4" longer than my right one. I had bought a Jamis Citizen 1 with a step-through frame, but my doc didn't want me to ride it until after my other hip was replaced and healed, mainly I think because he was afraid I'd crash. Sold the Triumph and the Harley and got a Suzuki Burgman scooter after the other hip was replaced. It was good to be back on two wheels again.

I can still ride my old racing bike, but I need to lay it down and step over it to get on and off safely, unless I have something to hold onto. All my other bikes share a common design feature:



I've been riding again now for nearly two years, after 30 years off. I started in July 2020, scared that I might not get another summer, with the pandemic raging and no vaccines available. To motivate myself, I started keeping a training log - just a spreadsheet, with health stuff too, blood sugar and blood pressures. My biggest problem with starting riding again was getting comfortable again with breathing hard. For the first few outings, just four miles was a workout, and I really had to learn to use the gears and pace myself to avoid the worst of the gasping. It took me awhile to get used to cars, too - I have half a mile of highway to do before getting to calmer streets. But it all came back, and I'm fine now, just slower...

By all means, start riding!

Five years ago, I doubted that I'd live another ten. But after my hip replacements, my wife's cancer survival, and our return to health, our golden years now seem like every day is a precious gift.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Anyone care to offer experience of post hip replacement use of 'normal' clipless pedals eg spd, spd-sl or look keo? The question being you obviously have to swing the heel out and that'll put a torque up at the hip socket. I am hoping for an op in the near future and working on 'prehab' already: pre-op soon.
At present I always unclip with my right foot, so that the sound leg (left) sets down on the ground. I guess once I am back on my bike I'll be able to unclip with my left leg/foot, confident of putting my metal-hip-jointed right foot down.

 

[Fredo76]

I had no problem releasing Shimano SPD two-bolt cleats (SH56 multi-release) when I tried them for awhile. It's a twisting motion all right, but without my weight on it, it didn't even occur to me and was easy. For me.

My problem with them was entirely on the clipping in part...

 

[Hudson1984]

I'd just faint as soon as I saw the needle! I can only take injections by not looking at them. Injecting yourself with your head turned away isn't wise i'd say!

Haha yeah, see they’re not too bad if you get the right spot. Little too high seemed to hurt, little too low was the same get it right and it’s easy enough they look worse than they are (see photo)

I went for a checkup this week as my thigh has been aching and I wanted to ensure nothing untoward was going on. Clean bill of health and told to get riding so I’m pleased.

Do still miss judo though lol

 

[kingrollo]

On the east coast U.K. and honesty every physio I’ve spoken to so far are carrying really basic qualifications.

Guess I’ll have to stop being a lazy bugger and head to Norwich, no doubt someone there

Basic physio qualification ? - I wasn't aware there was such a thing. It's a 3 year course or else you're not a qualified physio.