# How do riders fare after total hip replacement?



## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

I had my appointment with the orthopod this week about my right hip. I caught a ski tip on something in the snow back in late January and used crutches for a month and a half. I can ride now but only short distances on flat level ground. Getting on and off the bike is an ordeal. The orthopod stated that the hip will not improve but will deteriorate further.

I am now on the schedule with Kaiser to get a total hip replacement. While I'm not happy about that, I cannot go on as I am now.

Is anyone riding on a replaced hip? How hard was it to get back to riding and how long were you off the bike? What are your limitations on riding?

I fear that I'll have to remove "ski" from my tag line.


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## k2rider1964 (Apr 29, 2010)

https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/full-hip-replacement-1088036.html

https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/total-hip-replacement-837854.html

https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/broken-hip-1124069.html


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

k2rider1964 said:


> https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/full-hip-replacement-1088036.html
> 
> https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/total-hip-replacement-837854.html
> 
> https://forums.mtbr.com/rider-down-injuries-recovery/broken-hip-1124069.html


Thanks. Those threads do offer some hope - I won't be jumping and hucking anymore, but I have moderated my riding in my 70s anyway.

I'm not looking forward to this but the current situation is untenable.


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## leaguerider (Sep 6, 2010)

It was the best thing I ever did.
Been about 3.5 years now. I was not able to walk at the point I had mine replaced. I'm now riding 20-30 miles no issues.

recommend the anterior approach. I was starting to ride within a month.


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## bshansen (Jun 5, 2019)

New member here. Soon to be 54 and I've had both hips replaced. First one i 2013 and the other one in 2018. I used to ride both MTB and road back a lot way back before my hips gave out and never thought I'd make it back on a bike ever again.
Actually, both replacements went really well, and last year I decided I'd give MTB'ing a try again.
Apart from the surgery itself, that was the best thing I've done for myself in a long time. I don't ride anything wild, take a lot of care not get into situations I can't handle (still lack a lot of routine and fitness too, I suppose), but I'm riding and doing much better than I ever thougt I would with too total hip replacements.
So yes, it's absolutely possible and great too 

BWT, I was walking with a cane before both of the hip replacements.....


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

I am biking with a guy right now that had a bilateral hip replacement in September. He was back on skis the beginning of January. He claims he never should have waited so long and once again feels much younger. 
I started mountain biking when Obama was president. I started skiing when Eisenhower was president. I think I could give up mountain biking easier than skiing.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

PierreR said:


> I am biking with a guy right now that had a bilateral hip replacement in September. He was back on skis the beginning of January. He claims he never should have waited so long and once again feels much younger.
> I started mountain biking when Obama was president. I started skiing when Eisenhower was president. I think I could give up mountain biking easier than skiing.


I started skiing under LBJ, I've always mountain biked, even before mountain bikes. We lived near the Connecticut river bottom lands and rode out "English" bikes on the dirt trails. Later, I rode a ten speed with 1.5 inch tires until I bought my Mountain Trek 830 (which still gathers dust in the barn.)

Skiing, hiking, and biking are so integral to my existence that I can't imagine giving them up. I'm already on the bike, even if the ride is slow roads. However, I've spent the last thirty years telemark skiing in the backcountry much of it solo, especially as ski buddies have dropped out.

This incident happened off trails in the Lassen backcountry and I was able to get up again only by using a small tree to get out of the snow and I struggled to get my skis back on. This was a dangerous situation and I could have needed a helicopter ride or worse. I was using Targa G3 cable bindings without a release mechanism - perhaps a releasable binding would have done less damage.


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## Ladmo (Jan 11, 2013)

Second hand info, but I've known 3 people that had hip replacement. All three of them said it was amazing to go in with chronic pain, and wake up with the pain gone, albeit replaced with post-op recovery issues that lessen as the recovery period progresses. Once past that, feeling better than in years, and all said they wished they had done it sooner. Best wishes on a great outcome.


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## PierreR (May 17, 2012)

telemike said:


> Skiing, hiking, and biking are so integral to my existence that I can't imagine giving them up. I'm already on the bike, even if the ride is slow roads. However, I've spent the last thirty years telemark skiing in the backcountry much of it solo, especially as ski buddies have dropped out.


Yah old fool what are you doing out there solo. I know, nobody is stupid enough to go out there with you. Been there and done that. If you are that into wanton destruction, I have a pair of parking lot blades with 110mm wheels and a set of Riva cable bindings on them you can try. 

I telemark skied for the first 38 years exclusively. Then one day I put on a pair of alpine skis. My first reactions were like trying an e bike for the first time. "This **** is way to good". I still have a pair of Chrispi's with T3 and Hammerheads but don't do anything but play a bit on them. Fat e snow bike instead. I now ski on Stockli Laser AX and Knee bindings most of the time. 
I am baffled by the fact that you would need a hip replacement that soon after an injury unless the hip wasn't much good to begin with. Heal up you are my kind of person.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

PierreR said:


> Yah old fool what are you doing out there solo. I know, nobody is stupid enough to go out there with you. Been there and done that. If you are that into wanton destruction, I have a pair of parking lot blades with 110mm wheels and a set of Riva cable bindings on them you can try.
> 
> I telemark skied for the first 38 years exclusively. Then one day I put on a pair of alpine skis. My first reactions were like trying an e bike for the first time. "This **** is way to good". I still have a pair of Chrispi's with T3 and Hammerheads but don't do anything but play a bit on them. Fat e snow bike instead. I now ski on Stockli Laser AX and Knee bindings most of the time.
> I am baffled by the fact that you would need a hip replacement that soon after an injury unless the hip wasn't much good to begin with. Heal up you are my kind of person.


This was to be the year to switch to (mostly) AT gear. I bought a pair of military Voile Ultravector BC skis really cheap last spring and intended to buy boots and bindings this fall. However, the money source was my pistachio orchard and a freak, but incredible, huge pounding hail storm stripped the nuts from the trees and put them into the mud on the ground two days before harvest. Because pistachios are open, unlike almonds and walnuts, they cannot be sold if they hit the ground. Now, I may need the money to replace the Fezzari Cascade Peak 27.5+ which is showing all the miles I've put on it.


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## OzarkFathom (Jul 2, 2019)

Still fighting to avoid the surgery route. Slow improvements but moving in the right direction.
Pretty good stuff here, reflective of my current activity....


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

I did a lot of extra damage trying to work/ ride through the pain. I also had a bit of a struggle with my doctor getting work done because of my age. Now I'm 4 years post-op and just getting back to normal. I know lots of other guys that were back on the bike in 12 weeks and up to full strength within a year.

Best, K


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

Ladmo said:


> Second hand info, but I've known 3 people that had hip replacement. All three of them said it was amazing to go in with chronic pain, and wake up with the pain gone, albeit replaced with post-op recovery issues that lessen as the recovery period progresses. Once past that, feeling better than in years, and all said they wished they had done it sooner. Best wishes on a great outcome.


my boss had this done, gave him a whole new life


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## CHIEF500 (Aug 30, 2012)

I have a buddy (machinist) that had his hip done around the same time I had my knee replaced. He was up and around and back to doing normal things quicker than I was with the knee. You'll be glad you did it after the rehab and you can get back to moving again. Getting back on the bike will come. Good luck.


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## Radium (Jan 11, 2019)

In general, most of the hip replacement people I see do better post procedure than the knee replacement folks. They are getting better too, but the knee procedure is still getting tuned up.

EDIT: BTW, OZ, that doc is really good at making a lot of sense. If you don't have his whole video series, get it. And don't don't be a skinflint when it comes to the voluntary donation.......

........And who is that statue in your avatar of?


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## jeph (Apr 3, 2008)

I had a THR in Jan 19. I had anterior approach. I was on stationary bike at 2 weeks. riding real bike on flat trails at 6 weeks (couldn't do any more than that). I can say that I am probably as strong of a bike rider than I have ever been now. 

I was big in alpine sking since I was in my teens. I suspect that had something to do with "wearing" out my hip.

I haven't skiied on the new hardware as I procrastinated getting up there this year and it fizzled out. I do want to do that. The doc poo poo's the steeps and deeps at bit, but says skiing in general is ok. I would likely avoid hard pack days. But I think at 61 I would need to ease back in a bit. If you are doing backcountry you would likely be ok.

My hip was giving me pain for at least 15 years. On one respect I am glad to have held out as the procedures (anterior) and hardware have gotten much better. 

The one thing you might do is make sure the doc is a specialist in hips. My guy only does hips and knees. The doc should be doing a number of these a week. Some docs will do them but not regularly along with other ortho stuff. 

I am really glad I did it. I was getting pretty bad at even walking. Skiing was vitamin I breakfast lunch and dinner. It would really make it hurt. I would ski less and less. My was a slow degradation, not an injury. 

Good luck. 

Jeff


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks for the good luck. At this point, I am on the waiting list for when elective surgery opens up again - it could be 5 - 6 months. I can't walk much but I can ride the bike on short, slow, high cadence rides and I actually hurt less after riding. I'm in endurance mode now.

This one was clearly a trauma rather than a gradual erosion but I have had some issues with this hip before. The worst prior damage was caused by hitting a tree with my bars at Cave Lake State Park in Nevada - highly recommended by the way. I didn't even fall but the shock to my hip put me in tears. It was all right in a few days.

Back country skiing here can be on the best snow in the world or the worst. I tend to choose my days to ensure that the crust will at least melt! But, I would put the risk actually higher than resorts if the skier is skiing wild vertical.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

telemike said:


> I had my appointment with the orthopod this week about my right hip. I caught a ski tip on something in the snow back in late January and used crutches for a month and a half. I can ride now but only short distances on flat level ground. Getting on and off the bike is an ordeal. The orthopod stated that the hip will not improve but will deteriorate further.
> 
> I am now on the schedule with Kaiser to get a total hip replacement. While I'm not happy about that, I cannot go on as I am now.
> 
> ...


First of all - BEFORE YOU GO THROUGH WITH A THR, take the time to get evaluated for a hip resurfacing. It's a far better option for someone who wants to remain active. I had one of the best in the country (he works out of HSS in New York, #1 orthopedics in the USA) do mine, and I have zero limitations post-op. Riding/racing bikes, dirt bikes, snowboarding, lots of crashes so far. ;-)

Take a look at Dr Su's presentation below. Worth the 30 minute investment.


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## MOJO K (Jan 26, 2007)

telemike said:


> Thanks for the good luck. At this point, I am on the waiting list for when elective surgery opens up again - it could be 5 - 6 months. I can't walk much but I can ride the bike on short, slow, high cadence rides and I actually hurt less after riding. I'm in endurance mode now.


For me it was a combo of riding, hiking, and 30 years of kitchen work that did the damage.

I had gotten to the point where I had to adjust my saddle height to compensate for the play in my hips. 2cm higher for when things loosened up and back down when they were compressed. When the left side started making a ratcheting noise I quit riding.

I'm pretty sure I would have gotten a better result if could have taken time to fully rehab the first surgery before going for the second one. I just couldn't wait any longer.


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## speedygz (May 12, 2020)

Not a total hip replacement, but a dynamic hip screw. After being hit near head on by a lady driving a bullbar equipped 4WD on the wrong side of the road. Lowered the seat, hopped on and rode gingerly around my back yard, & up & down the court I live in, 5 weeks after surgery. Much to my physio's annoyance. Apparently, cycling meant exercise bike -not mountain bike. Riding was way more comfortable than walking.


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## telemike (Jun 20, 2011)

RickBullottaPA said:


> First of all - BEFORE YOU GO THROUGH WITH A THR, take the time to get evaluated for a hip resurfacing. It's a far better option for someone who wants to remain active. I had one of the best in the country (he works out of HSS in New York, #1 orthopedics in the USA) do mine, and I have zero limitations post-op. Riding/racing bikes, dirt bikes, snowboarding, lots of crashes so far. ;-)
> 
> Take a look at Dr Su's presentation below. Worth the 30 minute investment.


I explored resurfacing with the doc. His take was that the hip had serious issues independent of the injury. I have a congenital dysplasia of both hips. That is, the sockets are not fully formed. The Ortho that told me this stated that most everyone with this degree of dysplasia had their hips replaced by 50 - I'm now 72. The ortho stated that only the strong musculature in my hips allowed them to function as long as they did without serious pain. That's mountain biking and backcountry skiing for ya!

Thus, better to get the entire joint replaced.

I've had two dogs that have had dysplasia and it is common in large breeds. My wife has accused me of some dog like habits!


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