Limping is caused by relative insufficiency of hip abductor muscles because of high position of the great trochanter, and also because of high position of the center of hip prosthesis. Orthopedic surgeon should exercise a caution when informing a patient about the outcome of the surgery, particularly about the limping.
Limp - With modern hip replacements it is unusual to have a permanent limp after surgery. It is common to limp for the first 2-4 months after surgery as the tissues heal.
Recovery after your joint replacement can lead to an altered gait pattern that will get better with exercises (Stretching, Strengthening, Endurance training, and Balance – examples can be found at www.aahks.org/hipknee).
You will slowly regain the strength to climb stairs, bend and walk as you regain strength and motion. It may take several weeks to months before you can get back to normal.
While balance is impaired immediately after surgery, more conflicting results have been reported for up to 3 months. Afterwards, the majority of the studies report that balance improves, and all the studies agree that at 4–12 months after surgery balance is better than at pre-op.
A waddling gait happens because of weakness in your hip girdle and upper thigh muscles. To make up for the weakness, you sway from side to side and your hip drops with each step.
Stepping Over Obstacles. One way to improve your gait is to accentuate the motions that occur in your legs while walking. One way to do that repetitively is to perform stepping exercises over obstacles or small hurdles. This forces you to flex your hips up high and bend your knees up behind you when walking.
Proper walking is the best way to help your hip recover. At first, you will walk with a walker or crutches. Your surgeon or therapist will tell you how much weight to put on your leg. Early on, walking will help you regain movement in your hip.
Most patients achieve maximum recovery of neurologic function by seven months; however, recovery may continue for up to 12 to 18 months following the injury.
Within 12 weeks following surgery, many patients will resume their recreational activities, such as talking long walk, cycling, or playing golf. It may take some patients up to 6 months to completely recover following a hip replacement.
If you bend over too far at the waist, your hip can pop out of its socket. The same thing can happen if you lift your knees higher than your hip.
Most patients will continue to need the cane for walking until 2-4 weeks postoperative; if you feel that you still need it for safety/balance, please continue to use it.
In younger people the primary cause is physical trauma, such as sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents. The most common cause of pain in older people, however, is arthritis, which causes pain as well as stiffness. If someone already has a limp, inflammation makes it even more pronounced.
Going for a "pure" walk (no running at all) allows your body to make small adaptations that strengthen your feet, knees, and hips. Long, brisk walks can help boost your endurance.
Researchers have previously shown that hip strength and muscle weakness persist up to 2 years after surgery. Based on the rapid recovery in the first 3 to 4 months, some patients may stop doing their exercises, which may limit their recovery and place them at risk for falls.
The swelling and pain from your hip pain and surgery can lead to weakened muscles around the hip and knee. The quadriceps muscle usually is affected. Exercises can be chosen to help regain the strength in the muscles around the hip.
Loosening of the joint
This is the most common complication of hip replacement and occurs when the shaft of the prosthesis becomes loose in the socket of the thigh bone or the bone surrounding the implant starts to thin. This can lead to pain and a sensation that the joint is unstable.
Typical symptoms that you may have failed total hip replacement are pain in the hip, groin, or thigh as well as limited mobility. Some people describe feeling that the hip joint might “give out.”
Joint loosening, blood clots, change in leg length, dislocation, fractures and infection are common hip replacement complications. People who have received metal-on-metal hips may also experience metallosis, a form of metal poisoning that causes tissue damage and other serious conditions.
Is a limp permanent? Some conditions such as congenital (i.e. genetic) are unfortunately unavoidable and unpreventable. However, if in your specific case the limp has been an aftermath of a recent injury, then no, a limp is not permanent. In fact, it's preventable!
Your doctor will treat the underlying cause of your antalgic gait. A minor injury that leads to a limp will often heal on its own, and your limp will go away. Stay off your foot or leg and avoid any intense activities until it heals.