Avascular Necrosis

Rictina

I have recently been diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis in my hip, this is on top of my oestoarthritis in the same joint that I have been suffering with for the past 10 yrs or so.

My consultant says that I need a full hip replacement, but I need to hold off as long as possible dues to my age ( 37 ).

Has anyone been through a similar experience ?

moogiemouse7

Hiya

I had Avascular Necrosis in my right hip and had the hip replaced at the age of 26, I am now 45 and have had the original hip removed and repaired (2009) and a total left hip replacement (2010). If you have any questions please ask, I am quite the AN nerd!!

elnafinn

Hi Rictina and Moogie

Just to welcome you both to the forum and it is good to see that Moogie has info about AN for you Rictina and how her journey has been with it all. You can PM (private message) each other too, should you wish to do so.

Look after yourselves
Elna

Rictina

moogiemouse7 wrote:

Hiya

I had Avascular Necrosis in my right hip and had the hip replaced at the age of 26, I am now 45 and have had the original hip removed and repaired (2009) and a total left hip replacement (2010). If you have any questions please ask, I am quite the AN nerd!!

Hi,

WOW & I thought I was young to be starting with all these issues, lol.

Im suprised how long your original hip replacment lasted . Thats why Iam reluctant to have my right hip replaced as I believed that it would only last me 10 -15 yrs, & the second replacement would be quite dangerous.

With regards to AV, I have been diagnosed almost a yr now & its getting worse all the time. I carnt sleep on my right side otherwise my hip goes completley numb !

The pain is incrediball at the moment with these cold temperatures.

Have you any tips to help with AV ? I find that gentle walking helps, but Im scared that it will wear my hip joint out even more, its a vicous circle really.

Thanks for such a quick reply

Rictina

elnafinn wrote:

Hi Rictina and Moogie

Just to welcome you both to the forum and it is good to see that Moogie has info about AN for you Rectina and how her journey has been with it all. You can PM (private message) each other too, should you wish to do so.

Look after yourselves
Elna

Thank you for the welcome .

moogiemouse7

Hi Rictina

I was very young, I started with the symptoms in my late teens with an exact diagnosis of AN at 25, by 26 there was not much of my right hip left and luckily I was put in touch with a brilliant surgeon who was prepared to replace my hip at such a young age. To be honest the only reason I had to have it revised was because of the materials that they used back then…the acetabular cup that fits into your pelvis was then made of silicon, this dissolved over the years I had it and the residue started to dissolve my femur and pelvis! These cups are now made of ceramic and my spanky new left hip should last anything up to 35 years (although I wasn’t given a guarantee with that lol)! The revision left the ‘spike’ in place as that was still solid so I only needed the cup and ball joint replaces and some bone grafting to replace the bone that has been destroyed by the silicon, so the ‘spike’ in my femur is actually 19 years old and still going strong!
You have probably been told that Avascular Necrosis means that the blood supply to the joint has stopped causing the bone to ‘die’ and so wear away! I am not sure that there is anything you can do to slow this process down and if I were you I would try to keep as fit as you can, keeping the muscles surrounding the hip strong will help support it and help your recovery when you have your replacement, I can’t recommend swimming enough and cycling if you can manage it? I tried to keep my mobility levels as high as possible and went to the gym regularly (low to no impact excersises only) this paid dividends in the long run. Please don’t think that having a replacement is a negative thing either– mine gave me my life back and now I have had my left hip done as well I am a different person and have been painkiller free for about three months now, the first time since I was in my teens!! I know exactly what you mean about laying on your side, mine would kind of sink back into my pelvis and go dead, I remember sitting in the bathroom rocking backward and forward with the pain and wondering what I had done to deserve this when I was so young, but the hip replacement got rid of all that. Unfortunately I got oa in my left hip about 10 years ago which got progressively worse and I opted for that to be removed last year, my husband says it’s like getting a new wife, he’s never known me not be in pain! I cycle everywhere, go to the gym every weekday, walk without boundries (in fact I did a sponsored walk for charity 2 months after my left hip replacement-7 miles over the Malvern Hills) and have just bought my first pair of high heels!! I say all this to let you know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and not to blow my own trumpet. Please let me know if there is anything else you want to know, because I have been to the place you are in right now xx

Rictina

Thank you so much for all your help, its given me great encouragment that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

My hubby has ordered me a treadmill to help me, as the weather is too bad for me to get out, & gentle walking really helps me.

I have an appointment with a pain managment specialist next week, so I will see what they have to say, & then make my decision about when to have my hip replaced.

Thanks again, Im so glad that I joined this forum today. :smile

gemmapetken

Hi
I have This in my right hip as well as sever deformity! This has been very useful - I am 29 and told I'm too young for a hip replacement!
Thanks
Gemma

Rictina

I can really sympathise with you gemmapetken .