# Torn labrum in hip



## ackshen (Apr 13, 2018)

All, looking for folks with experience with this injury. Got the news yesterday after an MRI that I have a tear in the labrum of my right hip. Been dealing with intermittent sharp pain with external rotation and a dull ache at times for months, and after going to regular doc, ortho, PT, MRI, etc, I finally have the diagnosis. It hasn't limited my activity, more like required lifestyle adjustment - I now throw my left leg over my bike instead of my right, etc. Honestly, it hurts less now than when I first noticed it 5 months ago and I haven't stopped skiing or biking. 

The ortho / surgeon is recommending surgery. I don't have any bone spurs, but do have a very minimal impingement that they would shave down if they did surgery when they were in there. I've talked to two physical therapist friends that told me they would do everything possible to avoid surgery - cortisone shot, PT, strengthen area around it, and there's a good chance I could get it to be asymptomatic, or easy to live with. In their experience, and they see a ton of patients in rehab, hips are never the same after surgery and they told me if it was them they would only do surgery as a last resort. 

Primary concern is arthritis. That's what the surgeon said anyway. PT folks say, as soon as they go in there and repair your labrum, you're going to have the same risk of arthritis. 

Only got the news yesterday, so haven't done a ton of research myself, but wondering if folks have similar experiences and what you've done.


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## wayold (Nov 25, 2017)

I don't have the experience you're looking for, but may be in a similar situation. Sharp pain throwing my right leg over the bike and, afterwards, deep in the side and rear of the upper leg/butt has my ortho doctor not sure if I have an issue with the labrum in the hip or with gluteal tendinosis. No labral tear per se, but MRI shows "mild to moderate" cartilage loss in the hip joint. Part of the ambiguity in diagnosis is that I'm 60ish and this amount of cartilage loss may be the cause of my problem or just incidental damage typical for my age. I tried a few sessions of PT to strengthen the glutes, but that did nothing but aggravate the condition and make it tough to even walk afterwards.

Doc says next step is to try cortisone injection into the hip. Do you (or anybody else) have opinions on whether this is a reasonable thing to try. I've been reading about cortisone injections leading to further cartilage loss and that has me questioning what I should do.


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## ackshen (Apr 13, 2018)

wayold said:


> I don't have the experience you're looking for, but may be in a similar situation. Sharp pain throwing my right leg over the bike and, afterwards, deep in the side and rear of the upper leg/butt has my ortho doctor not sure if I have an issue with the labrum in the hip or with gluteal tendinosis. No labral tear per se, but MRI shows "mild to moderate" cartilage loss in the hip joint. Part of the ambiguity in diagnosis is that I'm 60ish and this amount of cartilage loss may be the cause of my problem or just incidental damage typical for my age. I tried a few sessions of PT to strengthen the glutes, but that did nothing but aggravate the condition and make it tough to even walk afterwards.
> 
> Doc says next step is to try cortisone injection into the hip. Do you (or anybody else) have opinions on whether this is a reasonable thing to try. I've been reading about cortisone injections leading to further cartilage loss and that has me questioning what I should do.


Funny timing. I just got a cortisone injection yesterday in my right hip. It seems to have helped, but they told me it typically takes 2-3 days to settle in and be fully effective if it works - apparently there are people that it doesn't help with. I'll see how it feels in a few days. It wasn't a very painful injection, a quicker and easier process than the contrast dye injection I had pre-MRI that was pretty painful.

My MRI showed a "substantial" labral tear with a very, very slight femoral impingement, something that won't heal on its own. My plan, aligned with my doc and physical therapist, is to see how I respond to PT (glute strengthening, which seems to have helped me in my case) and the injection, and to see how long the injection lasts. For some people, relief is only a few weeks, for others it lasts months. Given that I have good range of motion, and quality of life is good with minimal behavioral modification, I will likely be able to push surgery out a year or two. I have a newborn coming any day now, so surgery in the near term isn't really an option, plus I don't want to give up this riding season. The doctor hasn't given me any activity restrictions, so I'm just going to ride it out as long as I can.

They said, in their experience, most people opt for surgery within a year of diagnosis. It starts to ache more, will bother people sitting at work, will bother them sleeping, and eventually they relent. I was told the injection or delaying surgery wouldn't result in further damage beyond what I've already done (of course barring some sort of catastrophic injury, or constant stress on it the direction it doesn't want to move).

Arthritis in the hip is always a risk, both from having the tear and going in and performing surgery. My physical therapists (talked to 2) both said in their experience, the surgery is a bit hit or miss - a lot of people go through it and their hip never feels quite right. I have talked to 3 folks that have had the exact same surgery - 1 feels great, 1 feels ok, 1 still has issues and thinks it didn't solve the issue. In my case I'm sure at some point I'll need to get it resolved, but through the discussions I've had I'm comfortable delaying surgery until it starts to really impact my life.


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## wayold (Nov 25, 2017)

Yeah, my doc said that the next step after the cortisone injection would be arthroscopic surgery "to go in and take a look". Basically to see if there are any rough spots on the cartilage that didn't show up on the MRI - and smooth them down if they find them.

That's all well and good if that's my problem, but I'm bothered by the vagueness in my diagnosis. PT thinks it's my tendons while Ortho Doc thinks it's the hip joint and is recommending this steadily increasingly invasive set of procedures. I'm OK with the procedures if they're necessary, but would prefer to have greater certainty before going forward. I guess I can always try to get multiple opinions, but I've already been pretty much off the bike for a couple of months and would hate to delay recovery any longer by hunting around from doctor to doctor.


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## abaughman (Aug 25, 2018)

Have they ruled out hip dysplasia? Sounds a lot like my hips. At its worst I had trouble picking up the kids from school because of the pain of walking/standing. Pretty sure there was a tear. It did steadily get better once I started doing exercise and keeping my hips really strong. Stronger they are the less pain. 


I started biking because my hips tolerate it better then any other exercise and I do 40+ miles a week of trail. But standing for a hour causes pain. My hip sockets are just really shallow so if I get tired it slips to the edge, the muscles are holding everything together. If I skip exercising for about two day in a row I get really achy, bad enough to keep me up at night.


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

ackshen said:


> All, looking for folks with experience with this injury. Got the news yesterday after an MRI that I have a tear in the labrum of my right hip. Been dealing with intermittent sharp pain with external rotation and a dull ache at times for months, and after going to regular doc, ortho, PT, MRI, etc, I finally have the diagnosis. It hasn't limited my activity, more like required lifestyle adjustment - I now throw my left leg over my bike instead of my right, etc. Honestly, it hurts less now than when I first noticed it 5 months ago and I haven't stopped skiing or biking.
> 
> The ortho / surgeon is recommending surgery. I don't have any bone spurs, but do have a very minimal impingement that they would shave down if they did surgery when they were in there. I've talked to two physical therapist friends that told me they would do everything possible to avoid surgery - cortisone shot, PT, strengthen area around it, and there's a good chance I could get it to be asymptomatic, or easy to live with. In their experience, and they see a ton of patients in rehab, hips are never the same after surgery and they told me if it was them they would only do surgery as a last resort.
> 
> ...


If you have a torn labrum, osteoarthritis in that hip is a sure bet at some point in your life, if you don't have it now. Often that hip pain you've been having is from concomitant arthritis, not the torn labrum (based on multiple studies that have demonstrated torn labra that are completely asymptomatic). It's usually the arthritis that hurts, not the torn labrum. As of a few years ago, the number of hip arthroscopies for torn labra exploded, almost quadrupled, with the subsequent number of THRs decreasing by only a small amount.

Bottom line, repairing the hip cartilage may not make any difference, but it's still good advice to do whatever you can to manage the arthritis, whether it be anti-inlfammatory meds, exercise/PT, injections...whatever.


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## Horseshoe (May 31, 2018)

I was diagnosed with impingement (FAI) by x-ray three years ago and treated with PT and a PRP injection, both of which helped minimally. Six months later I went to a surgeon that specialized in surgery for impingement, who ordered an MRI. This showed a freaking mess: torn labrum, bone spurs, and full on arthritis. His assessment was that nothing would fix it but a hip replacement. The hip replacement surgeon asked about my lifestyle and expectations, and when I told him I expected to both continue snowboarding and powerlifting, he told me to put off surgery as long as possible or aI would need another within ten years. Prescribed NSAIDs and told me to go live my life.

Three years later (age 50) The pain is noticeably worse. A constant 4, with occasional days at a 6 or so. I’ve backed way off on powerlifting, and started biking more which seems to help. Still snowboarding although it hurts. Sometimes a lot. I hope to get another five years before getting a replacement. 

So I don’t have much advice, but do sympathize. Really hope yours doesn’t lead to arthritis too.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Just got a torn labrum diagnosis today confirmed by MRI. Not sure how bad. It was just a rad. tech. on the phone at my primary that told me. I see an ortho next week. Some ache now and then, sharp pain and weakness/impingement only when I internally rotate my leg. I guess that's the description of the movement...it's like if I try to cross my left leg on top my right knee when sitting. Sharp pain and I can't get my foot more than a few inches off the ground without using my hands. Anyways...I walk fine and no pain while riding. Guess I'll see how bad it is next week and definitely putting off surgery (if that's the best course of action) until at least end of summer so I don't miss riding season. Can't say I wouldn't mind a few months off work...lol


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## ackshen (Apr 13, 2018)

Nubster said:


> Just got a torn labrum diagnosis today confirmed by MRI. Not sure how bad. It was just a rad. tech. on the phone at my primary that told me. I see an ortho next week. Some ache now and then, sharp pain and weakness/impingement only when I internally rotate my leg. I guess that's the description of the movement...it's like if I try to cross my left leg on top my right knee when sitting. Sharp pain and I can't get my foot more than a few inches off the ground without using my hands. Anyways...I walk fine and no pain while riding. Guess I'll see how bad it is next week and definitely putting off surgery (if that's the best course of action) until at least end of summer so I don't miss riding season. Can't say I wouldn't mind a few months off work...lol


Your description of your pain sounds almost identical to mine. I got the cortisone injection in early February and it's been pretty good ever since. Never more more than a very mild dull ache as long as I don't push it the way it doesn't want to go. I modify behavior slightly to avoid tweaking it. I don't sit indian style (couldn't if I tried anyway), and I don't throw my right leg up hard over the bike to ride, I lift low and tilt the bike and more like step into the frame. Doesn't bother me riding whatsoever. I do one legged squats, resistance bands around the legs, and try to focus on my glutes when exercising or riding rather than hamstrings (all as recommended by my PT) and at this point I can't imagine having surgery in the near future. It's not perfect but totally under control and not impacting my quality of life at this time. A world away from where I was last fall, where it ached so bad at night that I needed to use a pillow between my legs and it would keep me from sleeping. Hoping that trend continues. Good luck dealing with yours. The cortisone shot isn't for everyone, but it's worked for me so I think it's worth a shot to get you through the summer. The good news is, it's not a painful as the illuminating fluid they shoot in your hip to do the MRI.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I had an x-ray with dye 19 years ago when I hurt my right hip and it was awful. My MRI was w/o dye. I was told that if my tear was bad enough to see without dye that it must me a pretty bad tear. That wasn't from a doctor though...just a friend that also has a labrum tear in his hip. I'll find out more hopefully next week. But as far as pain...yeah...just some aching but otherwise I'm pretty much pain free unless I do that specific movement which is easy to avoid. It's not something that hinders me in the least. My only concern would be things getting worse but right now I don't even feel the need for a shot. My goal is to absolutely avoid surgery until after July because I want to go to Dirt Rag's Dirtfest...lol. After that I don't care but I'd still like to avoid surgery if possible. I've read that hips are a lot like backs on once you have surgery it's common for them to never be completely right again. My shoulder is 98% good as new even after 10 years post surgery. But I'd be worried my hip wouldn't be as good. Guess we'll see what the ortho says.


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## bigdog100 (Sep 13, 2009)

Nubster said:


> I had an x-ray with dye 19 years ago when I hurt my right hip and it was awful. My MRI was w/o dye. I was told that if my tear was bad enough to see without dye that it must me a pretty bad tear. That wasn't from a doctor though...just a friend that also has a labrum tear in his hip. I'll find out more hopefully next week. But as far as pain...yeah...just some aching but otherwise I'm pretty much pain free unless I do that specific movement which is easy to avoid. It's not something that hinders me in the least. My only concern would be things getting worse but right now I don't even feel the need for a shot. My goal is to absolutely avoid surgery until after July because I want to go to Dirt Rag's Dirtfest...lol. After that I don't care but I'd still like to avoid surgery if possible. I've read that hips are a lot like backs on once you have surgery it's common for them to never be completely right again. My shoulder is 98% good as new even after 10 years post surgery. But I'd be worried my hip wouldn't be as good. Guess we'll see what the ortho says.


Hi, I treat labrum tears and FAI every day. Pain can come from many tissues of the body however, diagnosing the pain driver is crucial for proper treatment. MRI's do not determine how much pain a patients is experiencing, they image anatomy. A proper digital Gait analysis can uncover a lot of information about biomechanics. The pain can be coming from the torn tissue (labrum, tendons, ligaments), from the arthritic joint or from sequestered nerves. A proper diagnosis along with functional rehabilitation and regenerative medicine (PRP, Stem Cell Exosomes, Neuroprolo) can help remodel and heal tissues.

Here are studies why you should not get intraarticular steroid injections:
https://www.medpagetoday.com/rheuma...l_mpt_WeeklyVideos_2017-05-20&eun=g1146420d0r

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed...ee+Osteoarthritis+A+Randomized+Clinical+Trial


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## ackshen (Apr 13, 2018)

bigdog100 said:


> Hi, I treat labrum tears and FAI every day. Pain can come from many tissues of the body however, diagnosing the pain driver is crucial for proper treatment. MRI's do not determine how much pain a patients is experiencing, they image anatomy. A proper digital Gait analysis can uncover a lot of information about biomechanics. The pain can be coming from the torn tissue (labrum, tendons, ligaments), from the arthritic joint or from sequestered nerves. A proper diagnosis along with functional rehabilitation and regenerative medicine (PRP, Stem Cell Exosomes, Neuroprolo) can help remodel and heal tissues.
> 
> Here are studies why you should not get intraarticular steroid injections:
> https://www.medpagetoday.com/rheuma...l_mpt_WeeklyVideos_2017-05-20&eun=g1146420d0r
> ...


The shot was helpful for me in aiding mobility / pain level in order to focus on PT. Now that I've been doing PT and riding a lot, my hip is doing pretty well over 3 months after the shot, so I'm hoping I don't need to get another one in the near future. Agree it's not something you want to do long term. The ortho told me before the first shot - this isn't something you want to be doing frequently, but if you want to go the non surgical route, try the injection and PT and report back. I wouldn't consider doing what they did in the study - a shot every 3 months for 2 years.

My ortho never mentioned PRP or stem cells, but that's something I could really get behind trying and will do some research.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

bigdog100 said:


> Hi, I treat labrum tears and FAI every day. Pain can come from many tissues of the body however, diagnosing the pain driver is crucial for proper treatment. MRI's do not determine how much pain a patients is experiencing, they image anatomy. A proper digital Gait analysis can uncover a lot of information about biomechanics. The pain can be coming from the torn tissue (labrum, tendons, ligaments), from the arthritic joint or from sequestered nerves. A proper diagnosis along with functional rehabilitation and regenerative medicine (PRP, Stem Cell Exosomes, Neuroprolo) can help remodel and heal tissues.
> 
> Here are studies why you should not get intraarticular steroid injections:
> https://www.medpagetoday.com/rheuma...l_mpt_WeeklyVideos_2017-05-20&eun=g1146420d0r
> ...


Yeah...I've always heard that the shots where bad and could potentially lead to long term/permenant problems. I've had one in my life and that was in my wrist in an effort to reduce pain so I could compete in a benchpress contest. It worked for 2 days and the pain came back. I'd only consider it as an option like ackshen did. In my particular case...like I already stated...my pain level is so low most of the time it's definitely not worth doing.

My ortho appointment is this thursday so I'll know more about my particular case then.


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## Dan Zulu (Jul 5, 2008)

Cuyuna’s statements are consistent with my experience as patient battling hip problems since 2006. I’ve had three hip arthroscopies and at age 39 a total hip replacement.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

wayold said:


> I don't have the experience you're looking for, but may be in a similar situation. Sharp pain throwing my right leg over the bike and, afterwards, deep in the side and rear of the upper leg/butt has my ortho doctor not sure if I have an issue with the labrum in the hip or with gluteal tendinosis. No labral tear per se, but MRI shows "mild to moderate" cartilage loss in the hip joint. Part of the ambiguity in diagnosis is that I'm 60ish and this amount of cartilage loss may be the cause of my problem or just incidental damage typical for my age. I tried a few sessions of PT to strengthen the glutes, but that did nothing but aggravate the condition and make it tough to even walk afterwards.
> 
> Doc says next step is to try cortisone injection into the hip. Do you (or anybody else) have opinions on whether this is a reasonable thing to try. I've been reading about cortisone injections leading to further cartilage loss and that has me questioning what I should do.


Honestly, you're probably just buying time for a replacement or other more aggressive treatment. You can buy more time with specific PT to support the joint better, by working with a DPT who knows hips, knows athletes, and isn't a medicare factory.

When and if the time comes to consider replacement, I *strongly* encourage anyone who is fit and under 62-ish to consider resurfacing. It's a more difficult surgery, but you'll preserve more of your femur, have zero restrictions on activity (typically), and have an easier time when it wears out in 15-20 years.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Horseshoe said:


> I was diagnosed with impingement (FAI) by x-ray three years ago and treated with PT and a PRP injection, both of which helped minimally. Six months later I went to a surgeon that specialized in surgery for impingement, who ordered an MRI. This showed a freaking mess: torn labrum, bone spurs, and full on arthritis. His assessment was that nothing would fix it but a hip replacement. The hip replacement surgeon asked about my lifestyle and expectations, and when I told him I expected to both continue snowboarding and powerlifting, he told me to put off surgery as long as possible or aI would need another within ten years. Prescribed NSAIDs and told me to go live my life.
> 
> Three years later (age 50) The pain is noticeably worse. A constant 4, with occasional days at a 6 or so. I've backed way off on powerlifting, and started biking more which seems to help. Still snowboarding although it hurts. Sometimes a lot. I hope to get another five years before getting a replacement.
> 
> So I don't have much advice, but do sympathize. Really hope yours doesn't lead to arthritis too.


I have a few friends who tried PRP, and not a single one had a positive result.

I would strongly encourage you to consider hip resurfacing rather than replacement - it saves substantially more of your femur and can later (15+ years when and if you need it) be modified to a replacement. My recovery from hip resurfacing went extremely well, and I can still MTB (ride and race), dirt bike, snowboard, and so on. I've even played a little box lacrosse after a VERY long outage. The point being that the resurfacing left me with zero activity restrictions and no pain. The recovery went much faster than I expected. I was on the spin bike in two weeks and on the bike outdoors in 6 weeks (carefully), and raced an ultracross at 5 months. YMMV, but a good surgeon makes ALL the difference. I am a big fan of HSS (Hospital for Special Surgery) in NYC, even though I live in Philly. Dr. Edwin Su is the guy.

Even hip replacements are getting better by the day - I also encourage you to NOT put if off when it starts to impact sleep, life, and mood. Get it done, get on your way to pain free recovery.

Happy to chat about it if you want.


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## Mtbvkk (Sep 13, 2017)

I’ve had two resurfacing surgeries in both hips in 2015. Prior to that I almost couldn’t walk because of acutely dysplasia in both hips. I started mountain biking in 2017 because my PT was a former world champ and recommend it over road cycling which I was having trouble with. I mostly do blue trails But feel great and mountain biking has also helped mentally in ways I never would have known. Now I feel normal in comparison to before. Resurfacing is miraculous if you are a candidate for it and it gave me my life back beyond anything I expected. I would highly recommend it over replacement. Finding an experienced surgeon is key to success.


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## ojito (Jun 20, 2010)

The symptoms, vague diagnoses, conflicting reports of success, uncertainty about which route to take... all sound exactly what my girlfriend has been going through for the last year and a half. She almost pulled the trigger on surgery last year but canceled at the last minute. Since then it hasn’t been as bad. She has been managing ok, and it doesn’t limit her activity too much but she does have times of pretty good discomfort.

So, did anyone from earlier in this thread decide to go for surgery? If so, how did things go?


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

ojito said:


> The symptoms, vague diagnoses, conflicting reports of success, uncertainty about which route to take... all sound exactly what my girlfriend has been going through for the last year and a half. She almost pulled the trigger on surgery last year but canceled at the last minute. Since then it hasn't been as bad. She has been managing ok, and it doesn't limit her activity too much but she does have times of pretty good discomfort.
> 
> So, did anyone from earlier in this thread decide to go for surgery? If so, how did things go?


I ended up having a hip resurfacing in 2013 after suffering for a while. I was still riding, but it was impacting sleep, I was walking like a 90 year old, and getting in and out of a car was rough.

I am 110% happy with my choice. Within two weeks I was back on an indoor bike, and within just a few months I was racing bikes again. I'm back to snowboarding, dirt bikes, lacrosse, and lots of things that make me happy. I have no restrictions on activity, though running will wear the resurfacing appliance out faster, and I don't like running.

My advice is really simple: if it starts to impact your life (sleep, mood, mobility, fun) it's time to get it fixed. And when you make the decision to have surgery, pick the very best surgeon. Do your homework. Don't be afraid to travel to find the right doc. You want one who is focused on getting you back to full activity, not just eliminating the pain. As my doctor (Edwin Su at HSS) said (paraphrasing), many hip surgeons are carpenters - he's a precision machinist. ;-)


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## ojito (Jun 20, 2010)

RickBullottaPA said:


> My advice is really simple: if it starts to impact your life (sleep, mood, mobility, fun) it's time to get it fixed. And when you make the decision to have surgery, pick the very best surgeon. Do your homework. Don't be afraid to travel to find the right doc. You want one who is focused on getting you back to full activity, not just eliminating the pain. As my doctor (Edwin Su at HSS) said (paraphrasing), many hip surgeons are carpenters - he's a precision machinist. ;-)


Exactly. A big reason she canceled her surgery was we both didn't feel good about her surgeon, for various reasons. If she does end up getting it, it will be 7 hours up the road in Denver (we're in NM) with someone she had a consult with who specializes in labral procedures. For now, it's exactly as you described it.. it seems to bother her mostly in bed, especially rolling over, and getting in and out of the car. It's gone up and down, but for the past 9 months or so the level hasn't been high enough to make her willing to get surgery. It might be different if there were more stories of success, but it seems so uncertain.

Thanks for the input, I will see if she has looked at resurfacing, though as meticulous and research-y as she is I wouldn't doubt it.

Oh and we don't like running either haha..


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

ojito said:


> Exactly. A big reason she canceled her surgery was we both didn't feel good about her surgeon, for various reasons. If she does end up getting it, it will be 7 hours up the road in Denver (we're in NM) with someone she had a consult with who specializes in labral procedures. For now, it's exactly as you described it.. it seems to bother her mostly in bed, especially rolling over, and getting in and out of the car. It's gone up and down, but for the past 9 months or so the level hasn't been high enough to make her willing to get surgery. It might be different if there were more stories of success, but it seems so uncertain.
> 
> Thanks for the input, I will see if she has looked at resurfacing, though as meticulous and research-y as she is I wouldn't doubt it.
> 
> Oh and we don't like running either haha..


Just from personal experience, I'd be a bit wary of a labral repair unless she's very young. The recovery time vs a hip replacement or hip resurfacing is about the same, and she may well need a hip replacement or resurfacing at some point. Something to consider. Some newer hip devices wear a really, really long time and some even have replaceable components.

The other cool thing that my doc did while he was in there is adjust to fix a leg length discrepancy I had my whole life. That improved my performance and comfort as well.


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## Mtbvkk (Sep 13, 2017)

I can also recommend Dr. James Pritchett in Seattle without reservation. Both hips resurfaced in 2015 and doing great 5 years later. My knee is starting to have issues but otherwise MTB has been amazing.


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## ojito (Jun 20, 2010)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Just from personal experience, I'd be a bit wary of a labral repair unless she's very young. The recovery time vs a hip replacement or hip resurfacing is about the same, and she may well need a hip replacement or resurfacing at some point. Something to consider.


Actually, she just turned 53, and her physical therapists have said the same thing, so that has weighed into it as well.

So interesting about the leg length thing, wow.


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## ojito (Jun 20, 2010)

Mtbvkk said:


> I can also recommend Dr. James Pritchett in Seattle without reservation.


Thanks! Probably too far for us, but you never know. It is always good to have a list of good recommendations.


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## Mtbvkk (Sep 13, 2017)

ojito said:


> Thanks! Probably too far for us, but you never know. It is always good to have a list of good recommendations.


You're welcome - and yes finding one nearby is ideal. I should add though, I actually think he's a magician. My hips were really bad especially one of them. I was at a point where I could barely walk and even long hours sitting were bad let alone walking. I'm now mountain biking and hiking since 2017!


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

ojito said:


> Thanks! Probably too far for us, but you never know. It is always good to have a list of good recommendations.


From the hip resurfacing site:

*Colorado*​​*James B. Rector, MD - BHR Trained Calgary June 2006*
*1,025 Hip Resurfacings to date ****
Boulder Orthopedics
303-449-2730
933 Alpine Avenue
Boulder, CO 80304
Dr. Rector's Hip Resurfacing Website​​*Peter N. Lammens, MD FRCS(C)*
*1100 Hip Resurfacings to Date*
660 Golden Ridge Road, Suite 250
Golden, Colorado 80401
Appointments: 303- 233-1223
Toll Free: 1-800-258-5250
Panorama Orthopedics Website​​


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## ojito (Jun 20, 2010)

Mtbvkk said:


> You're welcome - and yes finding one nearby is ideal. I should add though, I actually think he's a magician. My hips were really bad especially one of them. I was at a point where I could barely walk and even long hours sitting were bad let alone walking. I'm now mountain biking and hiking since 2017!


Man, that is great, good to hear! Thank you again.


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## ojito (Jun 20, 2010)

Thanks Rick, I will suggest this to add to her list. I think her top pick so far is Dr. Ellman, at Panorama.

Cheers..



RickBullottaPA said:


> From the hip resurfacing site:
> 
> *Colorado*​​*James B. Rector, MD - BHR Trained Calgary June 2006*
> *1,025 Hip Resurfacings to date ****
> ...


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## Champion_Monster (Nov 30, 2014)

Well, I guess here's my chance to tell the story of bi-lateral Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI) remediation surgeries with labral repair and bone shaping work done in Oct 2015 and March 2016. I had a single surgery on both hips and now that I'm 5+ years post on the Left one and just under 5 years on the right one I have a little more perspective. Current age 49. I bought my Mountain bike in late 2014 and barely had a chance to use it before my hip issues started.

*Left Hip (original surgery, Oct 2015)
1st year*- Made a pretty fast recovery post-surgery, was working as an electrician. Bicycling is one of the sports I was doing that caused the issue in the first place along with some heavy impact running and, of course, ladders and all sorts of crazy activity at work. 1st year was kind of a honeymoon period after the surgery and I felt better than I had before it.

*2nd year*- Had some bouts of recurring pain and went back to the surgeon to talk to him and staff, the source of the pain was so high and to the side of the hip that they recommended trying more of the physical therapy exercises I had used post surgery. The pain was also never debilitating to this point but bothersome

*3rd year*- More issues, went to talk to the surgeon again and decided to do more physical therapy. Had a period of pretty strong recovery again but this hip, while feeling better than it did pre-surgery, still never really felt quite right. Early in the 3rd year I was feeling pretty good and decided to get back into stair climbing and bicycling after a significant absence. Did not gradually increase and really caused an issue and a serious backslide on this hip with two bike rides close together, started feeling the old discomfort strongly halfway through.

*4th year*- Started out struggling with the issues due to over exertion in the prior year, had serious issues for a while that were about as bad as the original problem prior to surgery which was causing some problems at work but was also dealing with depression, achilles tendonitis particularly in the left heel, Elbow bursitis (that resulted in an ill-advised surgery, eye issues and a bedeviling radial collateral ligament injury in my left index finger that was making work fairly miserable. I was chasing this with hand splints, plenty of physical therapy on the Hips, knees, finger. This is the very dictionary definition of a mid-life crisis I suppose.
I went to another orthopedic surgeon since my original doctor was no longer in the area and he did an XRay but no MRI as the XRays showed pretty healthy hips, at least with no gross progression of Arthritis. He said the MRI wouldn't be really useful outside of it's ability to really determine if Arthritis had started in its early stages and recommended that I back off the physical therapy as it was unlikely to do much more good as hard as I was trying it with such poor results. I also described how much I liked riding bicycles and he advised keeping mountain biking to a minimum due to the leaned-over posture.

Halfway through the 4th year I found a video on the internet that I downloaded for 10 dollars that ended up being worth more than the 3k in physical therapy sessions. Instead of trying one exercise after another after another, this video tied 10 solid exercises together sequentially, along with alternates for people who were unable to perform some of them. I was able to do all of them and only had to modify the elbow one #9- not from a lack of strength but because of the damn still-somewhat-lingering elbow bursitis. I imagine most of us on here regardless of age could handle all of them.

I truly hope it is not a problem to list the source of the video here it really changed things for me for both hips, I am certainly not affiliated with them:





unlock your hip flexors Coupon Code


unlock your hip flexors Coupon Code 2020



unlockyourhipflexors.store





Still in the 4th year I started taking medication to alleviate the anxiety and depression, found a good podiatrist who helped direct my rehab program for the insertional Achilles tendonitis and prescribed orthotics that worked like a charm, changed from a manual labor indoor/outdoor technician job to IT desk work. My walking speeds began to increase again. I still used a lot of the exercises I had been shown in physical therapy but the core group from the unlock your hip flexors video is still the best IMO

*5th year- *The 5th year started in October 2018 and has seen continued improvement in all of the areas above. I try to get up and move around as much as possible because sitting at desks can be just as dangerous as ladders and other hazards to your overall health if you're not careful. I have kept using the video mentioned above, many of the exercises I learned from my physical therapists for recovery and the year 4 problems and started really focusing on range of motion and flexibility. Looking back on my 5 year journey I think I had forgotten how truly critical range of motion is. It's what I used for my Finger- Range of motion and strength exercises and I won't say I stretched through the pain but I stretched through the minor discomfort and consistently found myself feeling WAY better on the other side.

The best news of all is that as I improved my flexibility I decided to start riding bicycles again and I was CAREFUL!!!!! Seriously, I started out with 2 mile rides on the street and then moved shortly thereafter back to the trail, which I would describe as (municipal) "Park" style of pretty flat but rooty and tight stuff. I limited rides by the mile and added perhaps a mile every 2 or 3 weeks and will now do rides of anywhere between 5-7 miles have been at that range for a while. I also stop and do light stretching 2 or 3 times per ride as well as walk around a bit. I decided that rather than_ ask_ life to let me have this joy I would just tell life how things were going to be regarding my biking hobby and so far so good 

My left hip will never be the same as it was when I was 30, my surgeon told my me to expect arthritis in it someday and my 2nd consulting surgeon described the FAI surgery as trying to address a Hip with a health grade of "F" and moving it into an acceptable range but not to expect miracles. I have never had another operation or even an MRI. My attitude went from thinking at 47 that I was looking at two hip replacements by my early fifties- which was part of the problem, who wouldn't get depressed as hell thinking things like this??- to really wondering how far I can make these hips last. I don't regret the surgery and I've been informed by my 2nd younger surgeon that they have made changes to how they reclose the joint capsule which they expect to improve outcomes even further and this is a change I did not have. My original surgeon performed about 200 of these a year and was known far and wide as an expert in these surgeries so I did have the benefit of a smashing top doctor in the field.

*Right Hip (2nd surgery, March 2016)*
My right hip started bothering me more and more even before I had the first surgery and as I was recovering from the first one when I reported it to my surgeon he basically said it would probably benefit just as much as the left leg. I'm not going to do a year-by-year summary for the right hip because, for the most part, it has been much stronger and more consistently solid feeling than the left and the surgical outcome for this side has been very solid.

I did have some hiccups about two years in when the left one was starting to hurt but I also had problems with knees, fingers, depression, heels, elbow and particularly the left hip. I would have to ascribe some of the issues with the right hip post surgery as partially caused by those on the left side. These issues quickly went away with PT and stretching and, in particular, ever since I started really trying to address the left one about 3.5 years in, the right hip has been solid. I would really rate this one highly on the satisfaction meter, say it's running 100 percent of function, (for an active 49 year old) at the lower impact exercises I have tended to favor.

*Overall*
I would not blanket recommend the surgery. I wouldn't also wait 2 years and suffer before _finally_ getting it. I would carefully try to address the problem with quality, adaptive physical therapy that address range of motion, strength, stability and a careful *cohesive* program that's easy to follow. You could try the video available for purchase at the link above. If these things don't really start improving things in 3-6 months then I can attest to the likelihood of improvement in function, particularly for younger people and I would try to find a surgeon that specializes in these operations. Like I mentioned before, my surgeon did 200 of them a year and came highly recommended.

My post-surgery life is different from my pre surgery life but it's also better in some ways. I never really paid attention to range of motion, inflexibility, core muscles, it was all cardio, all at near max efforts and stretching be damned. Now I spend probably 1-2 hours a week doing physical therapy exercises and try to do hip range of motion exercises at least a couple times a day. I don't know how long my hips will last but I'm about to hit 50 and I feel like I can keep these things going for a while. I have gotten down to my high school weight again after losing about 12 pounds in the last 4 months but that was mostly because I realized that MTB riding is strenuous and I needed an advantage. Where I had slowed down to under 3 MPH when walking during the worst of my post surgery years, I can now walk nearly 4 MPH again comfortably but I always *listen *to what my body is telling me. I try to get what I can and preserve what I have for strength, flexibility and motion but I know that I smile when thinking of this hobby, of laying down on the trail in muddy leaves after an ungainly crash but smiling ear-to-ear and of living every year that I get. I hope you can do the same OP and everyone who reads this


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## Casteiner30 (Feb 22, 2021)

I had the scope and labral repair on my left hip 3 weeks ago. I had 2 big bone spurs, torn labrum, and a massive cam lesion. Pain was a constant 6 and would wake me up at night. I'm 40 and ride 40-50 miles on the trail per week. I am so ready to start riding again. PT is going well and they let me ride the stationary bike for 20 minutes a day. They are telling me another month before I can get back to light trail riding, then back to 100% after 3 months total. 

Directly post-surgery I was 100% pain free. I would do it again in a heartbeat.


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## Dan Zulu (Jul 5, 2008)

Good luck with that recovery! Bicycling has been my hip therapy since 2006.


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

Hey everyone, 
I know this post is a bit on the old side but I thought I would throw my experience in the mix for anyone with similar issues that is searching through these forums like I was before deciding on surgery. I’m three weeks out from FAI CAM impingement and labral tear repair on left hip. I’m 51 and the most important point I would like to make for all to hear is do not listen to what you hear online about this condition. Almost all of what you are going to find online about this surgery is going to be negative or worse yet misleading and false. Most people do not post about good experiences which are in the mid 90% of outcomes for this procedure. This condition is no joke and absolutely will not get better without surgery. I suffered for two years with this crap in both hips thinking somehow I could fix myself with PT, FAI fix (total joke, those guys are just snake oil salesman out to make money). I tried everything under the sun and the condition only got worse. My surgeon Durham Weeks from Charlotte NC and his PA are amazing and very talented. It literally took me 2 years and close to 10 doctors to figure out what the hell was wrong with me. My scans Arthrogram mris, X-rays, etc showed what they called a very slight overgrowth of bone below the head of the femur almost undetectable to the untrained eye. Labral tear on the right and same labral fraying on the left. Well when the surgeon got in there on the left side I was actively bleeding internally all around inside my hip, the impingement was so bad the bones of the femur and the hip socket were bruised 180 deg below the impingement site. Synovium looked like hamburger. Before surgery I was at the point where I was having trouble getting comfortable in any position let alone sitting. The progression of pain and symptoms from onset was slow and steady until I just could not take it anymore and was ready to do whatever it took to get better even if it meant a hip replacement. Do not let this crap get worse. If you are diagnosed properly get it fixed! Don’t wait it’s only going to get much much worse only delaying your recovery time. This is not a sham diagnosis designed to make surgeons money. It is a real condition with serious consequences. My doctor performs 300 of these surgeries a year on 16 to 70 year olds with great success. I’m still in recovery and itS no picinic but at least I know I’m on my way to a better place instead of living in the unknown limbo of constant pain and suffering I was in before. Also MRIs are good for big picture diagnosis only most of the time if they see damage on the MRI likely when they get in there it’s going to be a lot worse than they thought. Hope that helps anyone out there with similar issues. You are your own best advocate. Do not give up until you find the answers and help you deserve! There are fantastic caring doctors out there for this condition mine was trained at the HSS in NYC. Feel free to respond with any questions you have.


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## Champion_Monster (Nov 30, 2014)

Having had Femoral Acetabular Impingement surgery with bone reshaping in both left and right hips I'm going to just drop in for the short version. I have a longer version in a thread somewhere on here I'll see if I can find it.

Age makes a difference. I had my first one done at 44 back in 2015, 2nd one done in early 2016 so 5 years plus on both.

1. Initially I had improvement, then problems then it seemed like a struggle. I learned that core strength and range of motion aren't just helpful, they are mandatory, lifelong commitments. Once I learned to stretch better and use my range of motion carefully, I got back a lot of things like sitting indian style, squatting pain free, etc. Now, at 50, I feel better than I have since age 44 by quite a bit.

2. I did a LOT of physical therapy but it was a bit like throwing exercises a la carte at the problem. I still use much of it but this video flat worked to really turn me around... seriously.
Unlock Your Hip Flexors (Just keep it simple get the cheaper Unlock Your Hip Flexors package video IMO)

3. I am glad I did it, will probably deal with arthritis someday but I work on core strength heavily and try to keep weight in check. I'm currently pain free and able to squat, stoop, etc. I now walk about 3-7 miles per day comfortably, haven't been able to mountain bike for a while due to another unrelated injury

To put it as simply as possible, your diagnosis sounds severe enough to lead me towards recommending surgery. Ask how often your doctor does it and check reviews. The surgeon that did mine did 200 of the operations per year and was an absolute expert. By all means try cortisone, physical therapy, range of motion exercises, behavior modification but if you're still in pain and tolerating disfunction 4-6 months later, I'd strongly consider the surgery. One new bit of info: My doctor in 2019 told me that some procedures have improved since my surgeries in late 2015/early 16 including that they seal some part of the joint capsule afterwards while still doing the same surgery which may improve outcomes even more.

*Lol, I found the long version, it's post #28 in this same thread  I'm leaving this since I think the short version is a good summary.*


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

Champion_Monster said:


> Having had Femoral Acetabular Impingement surgery with bone reshaping in both left and right hips I'm going to just drop in for the short version. I have a longer version in a thread somewhere on here I'll see if I can find it.
> 
> Age makes a difference. I had my first one done at 44 back in 2015, 2nd one done in early 2016 so 5 years plus on both.
> 
> ...


Hey CM thanks for the response and thank you for the link on the hip flexors I will surely check that out. Likely will have to clear any of those movements with pt first but will keep it in my exercise arsenal. Also your post is a great reality check on this condition and expectations for after surgery. I waited two years to get it done. Wish I would have figured out what it was earlier and got it done sooner though. It finally got so bad it was destroying my life from multiple angles and yes it took me to the dark place too. Not a fun place to be. I'm doing much better now in that respect as well. For me accepting my circumstance and the things that I can not control made a big difference for me. I would kill for a 5-7 mile MTB ride right now or even a road ride for that matter. Glad to hear you have a good system going now that's keeping you out there and out of pain. At 4 weeks out on the left hip I do believe that a lot of my discomfort and pain is coming from my hip flexors. PT folks feel the same. Got lots of imbalances and weaknesses to work on for sure. It crept up hard into my lower back as well which also needs plenty of work. I like you was a cardio nut of all forms and also sat in an office chair for 18 years not a good combo. I never gave my hips a single thought until bamm one day the labrum tore doing a lunge on the right I had done a million times and two months later bamm the left one cracked violently while I moved it inward trying to get comfortable in bed and it was downhill rapidly from there. I think the hips in a person with FAI get so many cycles of up and down and then they just fail especially when they are not paid attention to with proper strengthening and stretching. I'm glad I made it to 50 it was a good run don't regret it a bit. I have had some of the best times of my life on bikes. Nothing like riding 200 miles in two days to raise money for MS and the feeling of flying through the woods with the sound of the air rushing past your ears all alone in top shape, solid flow and the bike working flawlessly. It's like nothing else. The woods are calling me back I will get there again just have to make it through another one of life's challenges first. God speed to you man keep up the good work and never give up.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

My only suggestion is to consider "skipping a step" if you're 50 or older and go right to a resurfacing option. Anecdotal results for labral repair suggest that the downtime is often the same as a resurface and the results are only temporary eventually leading to a THR. I wasn't looking forward to missing 6-12 month of activity and rehab only to have to go through that again in a couple years. I had a resurfacing done by Dr. Su at HSS and could not be happier. Back to riding and snowboarding, and have done lots of bike races and events since then, including some endurance events.


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

RickBullottaPA said:


> My only suggestion is to consider "skipping a step" if you're 50 or older and go right to a resurfacing option. Anecdotal results for labral repair suggest that the downtime is often the same as a resurface and the results are only temporary eventually leading to a THR. I wasn't looking forward to missing 6-12 month of activity and rehab only to have to go through that again in a couple years. I had a resurfacing done by Dr. Su at HSS and could not be happier. Back to riding and snowboarding, and have done lots of bike races and events since then, including some endurance events.


Hey Rick,

Did you have issues with your hip cartilage like early arthritis, etc?

My cartilage is in great shape none of the resurfacing or replacement docs would touch me. They all sent me to the FAI specialist surgeon here in town. With the level of pain I was experiencing I thought for sure that I had some kind of arthritis in there but when they got in there the cartilage was perfect.


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## Champion_Monster (Nov 30, 2014)

Milesdavis3 said:


> Hey CM thanks for the response and thank you for the link on the hip flexors I will surely check that out. Likely will have to clear any of those movements with pt first but will keep it in my exercise arsenal. Also your post is a great reality check on this condition and expectations for after surgery. I waited two years to get it done. Wish I would have figured out what it was earlier and got it done sooner though. It finally got so bad it was destroying my life from multiple angles and yes it took me to the dark place too. Not a fun place to be. I'm doing much better now in that respect as well. For me accepting my circumstance and the things that I can not control made a big difference for me. I would kill for a 5-7 mile MTB ride right now or even a road ride for that matter. Glad to hear you have a good system going now that's keeping you out there and out of pain. At 4 weeks out on the left hip I do believe that a lot of my discomfort and pain is coming from my hip flexors. PT folks feel the same. Got lots of imbalances and weaknesses to work on for sure. It crept up hard into my lower back as well which also needs plenty of work. I like you was a cardio nut of all forms and also sat in an office chair for 18 years not a good combo. I never gave my hips a single thought until bamm one day the labrum tore doing a lunge on the right I had done a million times and two months later bamm the left one cracked violently while I moved it inward trying to get comfortable in bed and it was downhill rapidly from there. I think the hips in a person with FAI get so many cycles of up and down and then they just fail especially when they are not paid attention to with proper strengthening and stretching. I'm glad I made it to 50 it was a good run don't regret it a bit. I have had some of the best times of my life on bikes. Nothing like riding 200 miles in two days to raise money for MS and the feeling of flying through the woods with the sound of the air rushing past your ears all alone in top shape, solid flow and the bike working flawlessly. It's like nothing else. The woods are calling me back I will get there again just have to make it through another one of life's challenges first. God speed to you man keep up the good work and never give up.


You're a ways out from a 5-7 mile MTB ride at 4 weeks post surgery but the good news is that you are past the initial phase and should be ready to add some strength and walking soon. I remember being at least partially on crutches for 6 weeks post-surgery, whatever your post-op PT regimen calls for I'd follow it! 

Being that I'm 5+ years out from two FAI surgeries involving labral repair plus bone reshaping, I can anecdotally attest to the value of the surgery itself but post-op management of expectations and patience lead to better outcomes.

for example: 2 years out from my second surgery in mid-18 I decided it was time to start bicycling again, went back to the limestone trails and really sent it for my usual 15 mile ride. Then, 2 days later I went back again and about 5 miles in knew I was in trouble from the Hip that had caused my problems originally. Then, the following weekend, I played golf and really went for it. I think you might be getting the picture here  The straight-line repetitive riding plus lack of core strength, flexibility and regular conditioning meant that that combination of behaviors was a recipe for disaster. Lots of pain and aching for a good 6-8 months, multiple PT sessions and then I found that video and sort of started from the beginning.

The good news: 2 years after that low point I decide it's time to try mountain biking again. This time I limit myself to 3 miles per ride, no riding 2 days in a row. Make sure to do light stretching during and most importantly _after_ the ride (the 10 steps in the video work for me). Every week or so I add about a half mile or so to that limit, still always with a rest day. Concentrated on core strength, some yoga type stretches with deep hip flexion and back extension, etc. Each week of this careful approach (at 49 years of age) resulted in improved stamina, strength, speed and tolerance for MTB on medium trails. It didn't even bother me to crash and it took a couple months but I was able to rip off 7 or 9 miles with the only limiting factor being that I don't want to overdo it for cardio at my age trying to use judgment, etc.

Long story short: Go slow. Lock in gains with stretching, ROM and carefully listening to your bodies feedback. Expect to manage your joint health but be optimistic. At one point I went back to my Ortho Surgeon and he did an xray which confirmed that there were no signs of advance arthritis. Xrays trail more advanced diagnostics like MRI's it was good to know and helped give me a snapshot of where the hip joint was. You don't know your limits but I found myself back to doing light weight squats, all types of things I couldn't do before. I do avoid running as I think it's too much impact for cardio that can be much better gained on a MTB. I also work in a desk job but try to maintain the standard of 5 minutes off the chair and moving per hour, plus I walk on breaks and lunches, usually put in 2 or 3 miles per day.

Final thoughts: You can always get a Hip replacement/resurfacing, no reason to do that if you can manage and strengthen the existing joint to a satisfactory level IMO. MTB is uniquely suited to keeping your body strong as the process of speeding up, slowing down, changing directions, standing, sitting, etc all add a great variety to the exercise. I avoid limestone trails and steady pace miles for this reason, but I see their appeal. The Hip Flexor video isn't magic, nor are those the only exercises I recommend but it is a cohesive progression and each exercise offers alternates if 1 or 2 of them are too difficult in their original form.

Mental fitness and strength is as important as any of it. Get sleep, eat right, use your support system, consider avoiding social media unless it's the good kind like this, don't be afraid to talk to a doctor about options if you need help.


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## Champion_Monster (Nov 30, 2014)

Milesdavis3 said:


> Hey Rick,
> 
> Did you have issues with your hip cartilage like early arthritis, etc?
> 
> My cartilage is in great shape none of the resurfacing or replacement docs would touch me. They all sent me to the FAI specialist surgeon here in town. With the level of pain I was experiencing I thought for sure that I had some kind of arthritis in there but when they got in there the cartilage was perfect.


If your cartilage is in great shape, you don't want a replacement, you want to repair and rehab. You probably have 10-20 years left on that joint, see my posts above. My ortho told me the same thing after an X-Ray and I went back to the drawing board, improved flexibility, ROM and strength in that order 3-4 years post FAI surgery in both hips and am very happy now with the results at 50. I'm not talking about living with pain, either, I'm talking about feeling functional and strong- all of which keep the arthritis at bay for as long as possible as a side benefit.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Milesdavis3 said:


> Hey Rick,
> 
> Did you have issues with your hip cartilage like early arthritis, etc?
> 
> My cartilage is in great shape none of the resurfacing or replacement docs would touch me. They all sent me to the FAI specialist surgeon here in town. With the level of pain I was experiencing I thought for sure that I had some kind of arthritis in there but when they got in there the cartilage was perfect.


Yes, years of endurance racing and some undiagnosed scoliosis had damaged the joint and the cartilage in there. It actually felt OK when riding, but as my surgeon explained, that's because it was bleeding and lubricating the joint. ;-)

One doc who works on a lot of football players said he could fix the labrum, but made no guarantee on how long the repairs would last. He didn't appear to want to shave any bone. From what I researched, it's rare to have FAI symptoms without some type of cartilage damage, so consider yourself super lucky!

On the plus side, I'm pain free and fully functional now with no limitations. And when the resurfacing appliance wears out, it's fairly easy to switch to a THR. I have no signs of wear thus far, about 8 years in.


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Yes, years of endurance racing and some undiagnosed scoliosis had damaged the joint and the cartilage in there. It actually felt OK when riding, but as my surgeon explained, that's because it was bleeding and lubricating the joint. ;-)
> 
> One doc who works on a lot of football players said he could fix the labrum, but made no guarantee on how long the repairs would last. He didn't appear to want to shave any bone. From what I researched, it's rare to have FAI symptoms without some type of cartilage damage, so consider yourself super lucky!
> 
> On the plus side, I'm pain free and fully functional now with no limitations. And when the resurfacing appliance wears out, it's fairly easy to switch to a THR. I have no signs of wear thus far, about 8 years in.


Good for you man I will keep that option in mind for the future. I was bleeding all over in the joint when they got in there the impingement was so bad but apparently it was just aggravating the labrum and the bones were bruised pretty extensively. Can't believe I put up with that level of pain for so long. Even 5 weeks out from
Surgery I have way less pain then prior. Especially after exercise. Before surgery I would exercise and feel ok at the moment then somewhat ok the next day then 3-4 days later I would want to shoot myself it was so bad nothing would calm it down.


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## JulieO (Sep 30, 2021)

Milesdavis3 said:


> Hey everyone,
> I know this post is a bit on the old side but I thought I would throw my experience in the mix for anyone with similar issues that is searching through these forums like I was before deciding on surgery. I’m three weeks out from FAI CAM impingement and labral tear repair on left hip. I’m 51 and the most important point I would like to make for all to hear is do not listen to what you hear online about this condition. Almost all of what you are going to find online about this surgery is going to be negative or worse yet misleading and false. Most people do not post about good experiences which are in the mid 90% of outcomes for this procedure. This condition is no joke and absolutely will not get better without surgery. I suffered for two years with this crap in both hips thinking somehow I could fix myself with PT, FAI fix (total joke, those guys are just snake oil salesman out to make money). I tried everything under the sun and the condition only got worse. My surgeon Durham Weeks from Charlotte NC and his PA are amazing and very talented. It literally took me 2 years and close to 10 doctors to figure out what the hell was wrong with me. My scans Arthrogram mris, X-rays, etc showed what they called a very slight overgrowth of bone below the head of the femur almost undetectable to the untrained eye. Labral tear on the right and same labral fraying on the left. Well when the surgeon got in there on the left side I was actively bleeding internally all around inside my hip, the impingement was so bad the bones of the femur and the hip socket were bruised 180 deg below the impingement site. Synovium looked like hamburger. Before surgery I was at the point where I was having trouble getting comfortable in any position let alone sitting. The progression of pain and symptoms from onset was slow and steady until I just could not take it anymore and was ready to do whatever it took to get better even if it meant a hip replacement. Do not let this crap get worse. If you are diagnosed properly get it fixed! Don’t wait it’s only going to get much much worse only delaying your recovery time. This is not a sham diagnosis designed to make surgeons money. It is a real condition with serious consequences. My doctor performs 300 of these surgeries a year on 16 to 70 year olds with great success. I’m still in recovery and itS no picinic but at least I know I’m on my way to a better place instead of living in the unknown limbo of constant pain and suffering I was in before. Also MRIs are good for big picture diagnosis only most of the time if they see damage on the MRI likely when they get in there it’s going to be a lot worse than they thought. Hope that helps anyone out there with similar issues. You are your own best advocate. Do not give up until you find the answers and help you deserve! There are fantastic caring doctors out there for this condition mine was trained at the HSS in NYC. Feel free to respond with any questions you have.


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## JulieO (Sep 30, 2021)

Hi Miles, thanks so much for posting this. I'm from the UK and enjoy a bit of biking but it's so hard to get any info about hip labral tears. I'm 48, female and enjoy swimming, running, biking and a bit of HIIT stuff/ weights, but never went crazy. I started having R hip pain in Feb which wasn't too bad but did cause issues sleeping. Now any position where I need to flex my hip is really painful ie sitting for work, driving the car etc. I have to take strong painkillers to sleep. My MRA has shown a small full thickness tear. I am in constant pain in the hip and groin, cannot exercise and am completely grumpy. Physio hasn't helped nor have anti-inflammatories. Only strong codeine helps. I am aware that surgery isn't a picnic in terms of recovery but was it worth it? At this point I would hack my leg off! I am nearly at the point of going off sick as I cannot sit without a lot of discomfort. Thanks in advance for any tips etc.


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

JulieO said:


> Hi Miles, thanks so much for posting this. I'm from the UK and enjoy a bit of biking but it's so hard to get any info about hip labral tears. I'm 48, female and enjoy swimming, running, biking and a bit of HIIT stuff/ weights, but never went crazy. I started having R hip pain in Feb which wasn't too bad but did cause issues sleeping. Now any position where I need to flex my hip is really painful ie sitting for work, driving the car etc. I have to take strong painkillers to sleep. My MRA has shown a small full thickness tear. I am in constant pain in the hip and groin, cannot exercise and am completely grumpy. Physio hasn't helped nor have anti-inflammatories. Only strong codeine helps. I am aware that surgery isn't a picnic in terms of recovery but was it worth it? At this point I would hack my leg off! I am nearly at the point of going off sick as I cannot sit without a lot of discomfort. Thanks in advance for any tips etc.


Hey Julie O thanks for posting. Wow your description sounds spot on to exactly what I was going through for 2 years with gradual progression to worse and worse symptoms. I can remember coming to tears riding in the car it was so intense. Once that labrum tears you loose the joint suction, lubricative fluid retention, and stability. Most of the time the labrum does not tear unless their is some underlying pathology causing it like FAI bone overgrowth. Any activity that uses repeated raising of the leg like biking is going to piss it off. My hips apparently were very close to symptomatic right before I clipped a tree with my Mtn bike and came to an abrupt stop. That was the event that put them over the edge. Most people with symptomatic FAI can remember a single event that triggered them into being symptomatic. Prior to that I never gave my hips a single thought. Right now I’m about 6 weeks out from surgery and pretty much in constant pain in that hip. I think PT has pushed me too hard too fast. They had me doing some pretty low squats on Fir and I felt a strong sharp pulling sensation in there and it’s been pissed off ever since with the familiar snapping and instability. So who knows I may be back on the OR table soon. Getting it checked out by the doc tomorrow just in case. You will also be very surprised at how many weaknesses and bad habits you have developed while your symptomatic. Your likely always compensating in some way. Now that we’re progressing to harder exercises I’m amazed at how sore and weak I am. I mean soreness like I have never felt before from exercises. I would say if you have tried everything, injections PT etc and your not getting relief by all means don’t just live with it make some kind of move toward a better place whether it be FAI surgery or possibly a hip replacement depending on how good of condition your cartilage is in. Hip replacements are so advanced now they are even taking about the lifetime hip. The docs at the practice I go to have people running the Boston marathon with artificial hips. My buddy ad both of his replaced in his mid 30s and he’s unstoppable. The Tec has gotten much better since then. Whatever you do he sure you get several opinions from the best most experienced docs you can find who do a ton of these surgeries per year. The hip is very complex and you could have a whole range of crap going on in there, deep sockets, shallow sockets, cam or pincer impingement etc etc. I would have never guessed I was bleeding internally mine was so bad. The blood was
Lubricating my hip so I would feel ok on the bike then once it subsided about 3 days later I would be in excruciating pain for over a week till it would calm down. Recovery for me has been a real rollercoaster ride and I can’t stay still so that has not helped either. I wish you the best. Remember you are you best advocate. Be relentless until you have the relief and answers your looking for.


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## JulieO (Sep 30, 2021)

Milesdavis3 said:


> Hey Julie O thanks for posting. Wow your description sounds spot on to exactly what I was going through for 2 years with gradual progression to worse and worse symptoms. I can remember coming to tears riding in the car it was so intense. Once that labrum tears you loose the joint suction, lubricative fluid retention, and stability. Most of the time the labrum does not tear unless their is some underlying pathology causing it like FAI bone overgrowth. Any activity that uses repeated raising of the leg like biking is going to piss it off. My hips apparently were very close to symptomatic right before I clipped a tree with my Mtn bike and came to an abrupt stop. That was the event that put them over the edge. Most people with symptomatic FAI can remember a single event that triggered them into being symptomatic. Prior to that I never gave my hips a single thought. Right now I’m about 6 weeks out from surgery and pretty much in constant pain in that hip. I think PT has pushed me too hard too fast. They had me doing some pretty low squats on Fir and I felt a strong sharp pulling sensation in there and it’s been pissed off ever since with the familiar snapping and instability. So who knows I may be back on the OR table soon. Getting it checked out by the doc tomorrow just in case. You will also be very surprised at how many weaknesses and bad habits you have developed while your symptomatic. Your likely always compensating in some way. Now that we’re progressing to harder exercises I’m amazed at how sore and weak I am. I mean soreness like I have never felt before from exercises. I would say if you have tried everything, injections PT etc and your not getting relief by all means don’t just live with it make some kind of move toward a better place whether it be FAI surgery or possibly a hip replacement depending on how good of condition your cartilage is in. Hip replacements are so advanced now they are even taking about the lifetime hip. The docs at the practice I go to have people running the Boston marathon with artificial hips. My buddy ad both of his replaced in his mid 30s and he’s unstoppable. The Tec has gotten much better since then. Whatever you do he sure you get several opinions from the best most experienced docs you can find who do a ton of these surgeries per year. The hip is very complex and you could have a whole range of crap going on in there, deep sockets, shallow sockets, cam or pincer impingement etc etc. I would have never guessed I was bleeding internally mine was so bad. The blood was
> Lubricating my hip so I would feel ok on the bike then once it subsided about 3 days later I would be in excruciating pain for over a week till it would calm down. Recovery for me has been a real rollercoaster ride and I can’t stay still so that has not helped either. I wish you the best. Remember you are you best advocate. Be relentless until you have the relief and answers your looking for.


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## JulieO (Sep 30, 2021)

Thanks so much Miles. I'm seeing someone in 10 days so hopefully can get listed. He's been recommended by another surgeon and seems to do lots of arthroscopies. I will keep you posted. I don't particularly want to be a sports vet, but would like to be able to do a sprint triathlon again and keep fit for my mental health as well as to keep myself in shape as I get older. My range of movement is pretty good at the moment so I would hate to have any complications, but I can't live in constant pain with no signs of improvement.


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

JulieO said:


> Thanks so much Miles. I'm seeing someone in 10 days so hopefully can get listed. He's been recommended by another surgeon and seems to do lots of arthroscopies. I will keep you posted. I don't particularly want to be a sports vet, but would like to be able to do a sprint triathlon again and keep fit for my mental health as well as to keep myself in shape as I get older. My range of movement is pretty good at the moment so I would hate to have any complications, but I can't live in constant pain with no signs of improvement.


No problem. Ya you can only stay in the limbo unknown zone for so long before you start to feel hopeless and that everything is out of your control. Not a good place to be. Better to stay in control as much as you can by being your own best advocate and perusing a resolution. Accepting what you can’t control is also helpful for the mind. For instance my shoulders are trashed as well and both need done. One I have had done twice already but it’s very arthritic now and will need capped or something more drastic soon. Also I have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis likely brought on by all this trauma so that’s another challenge in and of itself. If I focus on all of my problems at once it’s very overwhelming and defeating so I try to compartmentalize them and take one at a time. I will likely be bionic before I cash this body in. Try to focus on all the great things in your life, small accomplishments and what you are thankful for each and every day. Helps me a lot. Good luck and God bless. I hope your back to all the things you love ASAP


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## mosovich (Apr 19, 2004)

My issue is during first Covid (May 2020) I slipped a pedal on my MTB in my driveway of all places. Sharp pain, just thought I pulled something. Pain kept on, I kept riding.. Went to prompt care and was told I had a hernia because of pain in groin area as well. Couldn't get in to see a surgeon for 12 weeks due to Covid. Decided to go so a sports medicine guy. No MRI, just xray. Did PT started back riding pretty well, up to 60 miles on gravel, just couldn't push it. Did MTB ride with my son, pain started back stronger. Went back, still no MRI, just told me to go back to PT. Well after a while a friend told me I needed to get a second opinion after PT wasn't helping and ability to ride was getting more painful. Went last week to ortho and have MRI Tuesday. He said he's 90% sure it's a labrum tear especially if none of the PT helped. It usually starts getting upset about 20 min in on a ride. Feels like there's a roll in my hip area or crease between my groin and leg. Ultrasound found no hernia. I did a ride yesterday, 10 miles and pain started at mile 5 and never got any better. I sit a lot at work, I try to stand as much as possible. Needless to say all this info here has been a little more than overwhelming. I've been riding for 37 years and it's my life. I've really gotten into bikepacking having just got a new bike and equipment in the last week. To be honest, I'm more scared at 51 of this more than I have ever been of any other injury.. I'm in the North Augusta, SC area.. Do 90% gravel riding, haven't done an interval in almost two years..


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## Dan Zulu (Jul 5, 2008)

^ I have had three hip scopes and two total hip replacements. Bicycling is actually very therapeutic for my hips now. As an involuntary 15-year professional hip patient I think you’ll be able to resume your riding once you get it fixed.


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## mosovich (Apr 19, 2004)

Dan Zulu said:


> ^ I have had three hip scopes and two total hip replacements. Bicycling is actually very therapeutic for my hips now. As an involuntary 15-year professional hip patient I think you’ll be able to resume your riding once you get it fixed.


Thanks for the encouragement. I really need it..


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

mosovich said:


> My issue is during first Covid (May 2020) I slipped a pedal on my MTB in my driveway of all places. Sharp pain, just thought I pulled something. Pain kept on, I kept riding.. Went to prompt care and was told I had a hernia because of pain in groin area as well. Couldn't get in to see a surgeon for 12 weeks due to Covid. Decided to go so a sports medicine guy. No MRI, just xray. Did PT started back riding pretty well, up to 60 miles on gravel, just couldn't push it. Did MTB ride with my son, pain started back stronger. Went back, still no MRI, just told me to go back to PT. Well after a while a friend told me I needed to get a second opinion after PT wasn't helping and ability to ride was getting more painful. Went last week to ortho and have MRI Tuesday. He said he's 90% sure it's a labrum tear especially if none of the PT helped. It usually starts getting upset about 20 min in on a ride. Feels like there's a roll in my hip area or crease between my groin and leg. Ultrasound found no hernia. I did a ride yesterday, 10 miles and pain started at mile 5 and never got any better. I sit a lot at work, I try to stand as much as possible. Needless to say all this info here has been a little more than overwhelming. I've been riding for 37 years and it's my life. I've really gotten into bikepacking having just got a new bike and equipment in the last week. To be honest, I'm more scared at 51 of this more than I have ever been of any other injury.. I'm in the North Augusta, SC area.. Do 90% gravel riding, haven't done an interval in almost two years..


Hey man thanks for posting. Good first step toward your recovery. I highly suggest joining the hip labral tear/recovery private group (exact name) on Facebook. Lots of folks in there including myself that can help you pinpoint what is going on in your hip. It really does sound labral but there are a ton of people out there with labral tears that are asymptomatic. If you have constant pain while riding (cycling is the worst thing for FAI accompanied by labral tear pathology) likely you have FAI and the overgrowth of bone wherever it may be likely just below the head of your femur has made its way through your labrum and is now hitting your hip socket. For two years I would start to feel a bit better and decide to go ride only to end up in horrendous pain 3-4 days later. You need to find a hip preservationist surgeon in your area who specializes in these arthroscopic repairs. I’m talking about someone who does 100s of these procedures per year. Mine does close to 300 and do not settle for anyone else. This is a very specialized field, the repair is very complex and so is the recovery. They and they alone are going to be the only docs that have an eye for this. Everyone else is likely going to look at your scans and blow you off as if everything is ok. Believe me I saw close to 10 docs before my surgeon and all blew me off. You are fairly close to Charlotte and I think it would be very worth your time to make an appt with my surgeon Dr. Kenneth Weeks at Orthocarolina. He is now the official surgeon for the Panthers and I just can’t say enough good things about him his team and his PA Jeffrey who is a freeking genius when it comes to this stuff are amazing. Do not mess around with this condition if it’s FAI and labral tear it’s only gonna get worse believe me. I’m 51 and have been super active my whole life. I never knew I had it and never gave my hips a single thought until I clipped a tree on a Mtn bike ride and 4 months later bamm both hips went full symptomatic. Usually there is a single event that pushes the body just enough over the edge causing it to over ride all the compensations it has built up over the years to get around the FAI issues. At that point everything goes symptomatic and it’s game on. Doc said I likely had this since I was 18 so the recovery is brutal and he was right. Now that my anatomy has been altered the body is going bonkers trying to get used to it. I thought the shoulders were the worst for recovery until I went through this. However, I’m still better now 4 months out from the first and almost two from the second than I was the day before the first. So far it’s been worth it. After a while you will be in so much pain just trying to do daily tasks that you will succumb. Please don’t wait that long to pull the trigger if you have been diagnosed with this condition. Weeks will get you in for an arthrogram MRI to confirm everything. Not a fun procedure either but doable. Best of luck to you man and feel free to hit me up anytime but for sure give that FB group a try it will also be very helpful if you do decide to have it fixed. It sucks I know. Downtime is the worst and I have been sidelined for over 2 years now but if you get it fixed at least you made a step in the right direction and your moving forward. Right now your in the no zone limbo stage and it’s a very self defeating place to be. Don’t hang there too long it’s bad for the mind and body. You are your own best advocate when it comes to your health so don’t take no for an answer and seek out the care you deserve. You can do this!


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

mosovich said:


> My issue is during first Covid (May 2020) I slipped a pedal on my MTB in my driveway of all places. Sharp pain, just thought I pulled something. Pain kept on, I kept riding.. Went to prompt care and was told I had a hernia because of pain in groin area as well. Couldn't get in to see a surgeon for 12 weeks due to Covid. Decided to go so a sports medicine guy. No MRI, just xray. Did PT started back riding pretty well, up to 60 miles on gravel, just couldn't push it. Did MTB ride with my son, pain started back stronger. Went back, still no MRI, just told me to go back to PT. Well after a while a friend told me I needed to get a second opinion after PT wasn't helping and ability to ride was getting more painful. Went last week to ortho and have MRI Tuesday. He said he's 90% sure it's a labrum tear especially if none of the PT helped. It usually starts getting upset about 20 min in on a ride. Feels like there's a roll in my hip area or crease between my groin and leg. Ultrasound found no hernia. I did a ride yesterday, 10 miles and pain started at mile 5 and never got any better. I sit a lot at work, I try to stand as much as possible. Needless to say all this info here has been a little more than overwhelming. I've been riding for 37 years and it's my life. I've really gotten into bikepacking having just got a new bike and equipment in the last week. To be honest, I'm more scared at 51 of this more than I have ever been of any other injury.. I'm in the North Augusta, SC area.. Do 90% gravel riding, haven't done an interval in almost two years..


Been there, felt that. I ended up having a hip resurfacing done because my labrum was so damaged and at age 50+ the prospects of a labrum repair lasting very long aren't great. Rather than face two 6 month downtimes a couple years apart, I ended up going with a resurfacing (instead of replacement) which preserves most of your femoral head. Best choice I ever made. I'm 8 years in now and have zero restrictions (I'm 59 now). I've gotten back to snowboarding, dirt biking, MTB racing (even did a stage race), cyclocross/ultracross, and even played a little box lacrosse. No pain at all anymore. I regret putting it off as long as I did.


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

RickBullottaPA said:


> Been there, felt that. I ended up having a hip resurfacing done because my labrum was so damaged and at age 50+ the prospects of a labrum repair lasting very long aren't great. Rather than face two 6 month downtimes a couple years apart, I ended up going with a resurfacing (instead of replacement) which preserves most of your femoral head. Best choice I ever made. I'm 8 years in now and have zero restrictions (I'm 59 now). I've gotten back to snowboarding, dirt biking, MTB racing (even did a stage race), cyclocross/ultracross, and even played a little box lacrosse. No pain at all anymore. I regret putting it off as long as I did.


Awesome man love to hear some feel good success stories. I went with the bone shaving and labral repair on both at 51 since my cartilage was in such good shape. I was worried too about longevity but doc said with my weight bearing cartilage in pristine shape the repair should last quite a while. Time will tell. Got a lot more rehab to go yet. I won’t go through this again though it will be a THR next time around. This recovery is brutal.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Milesdavis3 said:


> Awesome man love to hear some feel good success stories. I went with the bone shaving and labral repair on both at 51 since my cartilage was in such good shape. I was worried too about longevity but doc said with my weight bearing cartilage in pristine shape the repair should last quite a while. Time will tell. Got a lot more rehab to go yet. I won’t go through this again though it will be a THR next time around. This recovery is brutal.


Rehab is ESSENTIAL - and a PT doc who understands that you want to get back to MTB and other very active sports is critical to the outcome. I left PT sweating and exhausted! I still do my PT routine occasionally to strengthen the surrounding muscles and maintain ROM - and in particular I make sure to do it on the hip that wasn't operating on as a preventative measure.

In my case, the labrum was toast because I waited too long - pretty much bone on bone. Ironically it didn't hurt much on the bike because as my doc told me "the bleeding is lubricating the joint". Ha ha. In any case, I'm super happy with the results and won't put it off as long if the other one ever needs it.


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## Dan Zulu (Jul 5, 2008)

FWIW, all the surgeons I spoke with in 2018 said that nobody was doing resurfacing any longer. I am glad I had the total replacement. No more bone on bone grinding, no more re-torn labrum making clicking noises that my wife could hear across the room.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Dan Zulu said:


> FWIW, all the surgeons I spoke with in 2018 said that nobody was doing resurfacing any longer. I am glad I had the total replacement. No more bone on bone grinding, no more re-torn labrum making clicking noises that my wife could hear across the room.


That's what surgeons without the skill to do a resurfacing will tell you - it's a more difficult procedure but the results are superior in terms of joint strength if you want to continue to do contact sports (and the way I ride, MTB is most definitely a contact sport!). My doc (Edwin Su at HSS) is still doing lots of resurfacings, many on pro athletes. As he once told me "a hip resurfacing surgeon is like a machinist - a hip replacement surgeon is like a carpenter".

Dr. Edwin. P Su, Orthopaedic Hip Knee Surgeon - Hip Resurfacing Surgery, New York (hipresurfacingnewyork.com)


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## Dan Zulu (Jul 5, 2008)

So the doctors at UCLA and the Mayo Clinic are just unskilled and were lying to me? Doubtful.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Dan Zulu said:


> So the doctors at UCLA and the Mayo Clinic are just unskilled and were lying to me? Doubtful.


Apparently so! Did you check out the link I posted? HSS is the #1 Orthopedic Facility in the entire country, so I suspect that if they're still doing resurfacing, it's very much a legitimate and viable option (in fact a distance runner friend of mine had his done recently). As I mentioned, many pro athletes who are vulnerable to hip issues (hockey, tennis, martial arts/MMA) continue to choose resurfacing because it preserves more bone. Resurfacing is not generally recommended for smaller women or patients over 60, though there are exceptions.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Dan Zulu said:


> So the doctors at UCLA and the Mayo Clinic are just unskilled and were lying to me? Doubtful.


NBA player Isaiah Thomas just had his resurfaced.

Isaiah Thomas ready to return to NBA after hip procedure (hss.edu)


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## Milesdavis3 (Sep 11, 2021)

RickBullottaPA said:


> NBA player Isaiah Thomas just had his resurfaced.
> 
> Isaiah Thomas ready to return to NBA after hip procedure (hss.edu)


HSS rocks! My surgeon trained there and he is now the official surgeon for the Carolina panthers not that it has helped them this year. I also did an MD live second opinion teleappt with another specialist from HSS and he said go for it as well. He thought I likely had cartilage issues from looking at my scans but when the doc got in there cartilage was perfect. Same as you when they got into both of my hips they were full of blood from all the inflammation, bone hitting bone etc. I had these strange stacked up round piles of bone on the top of my hip socket on the left hip and the labrum had a huge tear that slipped over those and got lodged up underneath them. Also one of the round bone formations broke off god knows when and was floating around in my joint capsule. They had to expand one of the portals to pull it out. Fing nuts. No wonder I was in so much freeking pain. Same here when I would ride they would bleed and the blood lubricated the joint and it felt pretty good. 3-4 days later when it reabsorbed it was living hell for at least a week trying to get them to calm down. Doc said if I would have waited much longer the inflammation would have moved into my cartilage and it would have been game over. Hey Rick with a resurfacing what happens to the labrum? Did they just resurface the head of the femur or did they do your acetabular socket as well. Thanks! Not to start a hospital turf war here but from what I gather from the forums I have been a part of the Mayo Clinic is not what it used to be. My doc said there is a very small tight knit group of surgeons that are experts at these surgeries and they all know each other and are in fairly constant communication sharing best practices results etc. my docs PA has worked for three of them
Now he’s a freeking genius when it comes to this stuff. He can site research papers and statistics off the top of his head like nothing, every time I go in there I leave just blown away by his level of knowledge and passion for the craft. I love the details and he geeks out on me every time. They are all well aware that I want to get back out and beat the crap out of myself so good to go there. Most of the time I leave PT totally blown out. Most times I can barely function the next day. It’s intense. Good thing bc I don’t think I would ever push myself that hard on my own.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

Milesdavis3 said:


> HSS rocks! My surgeon trained there and he is now the official surgeon for the Carolina panthers not that it has helped them this year. I also did an MD live second opinion teleappt with another specialist from HSS and he said go for it as well. He thought I likely had cartilage issues from looking at my scans but when the doc got in there cartilage was perfect. Same as you when they got into both of my hips they were full of blood from all the inflammation, bone hitting bone etc. I had these strange stacked up round piles of bone on the top of my hip socket on the left hip and the labrum had a huge tear that slipped over those and got lodged up underneath them. Also one of the round bone formations broke off god knows when and was floating around in my joint capsule. They had to expand one of the portals to pull it out. Fing nuts. No wonder I was in so much freeking pain. Same here when I would ride they would bleed and the blood lubricated the joint and it felt pretty good. 3-4 days later when it reabsorbed it was living hell for at least a week trying to get them to calm down. Doc said if I would have waited much longer the inflammation would have moved into my cartilage and it would have been game over. Hey Rick with a resurfacing what happens to the labrum? Did they just resurface the head of the femur or did they do your acetabular socket as well. Thanks! Not to start a hospital turf war here but from what I gather from the forums I have been a part of the Mayo Clinic is not what it used to be. My doc said there is a very small tight knit group of surgeons that are experts at these surgeries and they all know each other and are in fairly constant communication sharing best practices results etc. my docs PA has worked for three of them
> Now he’s a freeking genius when it comes to this stuff. He can site research papers and statistics off the top of his head like nothing, every time I go in there I leave just blown away by his level of knowledge and passion for the craft. I love the details and he geeks out on me every time. They are all well aware that I want to get back out and beat the crap out of myself so good to go there. Most of the time I leave PT totally blown out. Most times I can barely function the next day. It’s intense. Good thing bc I don’t think I would ever push myself that hard on my own.


Yeah, my intent was not to diss other options but simply to place resurfacing out there as an important consideration for an active person such as a mountain biker.


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