I had a new ingrowth hip prosthesis in January 2011. At a check-up in March this year there was still minor pain in the thigh and the orthopedic surgeon determined that it was ‘mid thigh pain’, which would pass after 2 to 3 years. At the end of September 2012, however, there was (sometimes quite a lot) pain in the groin and behind at the height of the back pocket and sometimes just above the knee (when bending slightly forward). Since then, my mobility has also been greatly reduced, so that I can hardly put on my sock on the operated leg in the morning because of the groin pain. I can of course request a consultation, but I have strong doubts as to whether you can properly determine by means of an X-ray whether the hip (cup and stem) have properly grown in. What is your opinion about this?
Martens
Conny Douw, orthopedic surgeon
Thank you for your question. The message you received about the mid-thigh pain is recognizable; that is a shortcoming that sometimes occurs with “ingrowth prostheses”.
Pain in the groin and a decline in the mobility of the operated hip can also occur with a hip replacement.
A new consultation with the orthopedic surgeon is certainly worthwhile and so is an X-ray. Any failure of a prosthesis to bond (properly) may be visible on an X-ray if the prosthesis has moved compared to previously taken X-rays.
Other methods are also available to the orthopedic surgeon for additional research.
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