Rowing After A Hip Replacement

[[old] Jim Aldeman]

I started rowing about three years ago as my hip problem from running continued to pursue other forms of exercise. I am scheduled to have my hip replaced in about a month and was wondering if anyone had any experience with rowing after this operation. Thanks. Jim A.

[[old] dom]

Jim: By way of introduction, I have had both hips replaced. I had my right hip replaced in 1993, and had to have it replaced again in March, 2004 along with replacing my left hip. First of all, you should always pay attention to the advice of your doctor, and remember, whenever talking to him you must be very specific in telling him exactly what it is you wish to do. It has been six months since I had both hips replaced, and I am back working out on the erg. I would suggest you wait at least that long before working out on the erg. You will have to be careful in getting on and off the seat. Also, I would suggest that you do not come up so far as to have both your shins vertical as recommended in the literature. Always stop short of that position. Remember, your artificial hip does not have the same degree of motion as your own hip, and can be dislocated if you are not careful, and believe me, that will be very painful. I know because five months after I had my first hip replace in 1993, I dislocated the hip and had to be returned to the hospital. <br><br>I would suggest that as soon as the doctor tells you that you can do certain things, I would start by using a stationary bike along with walking. Usually the doctor wants to see you in 3 months, and again in 6 months. If it were me, I would wait until after my 6 month checkup. Again, however, check with your doctor. <br><br>I wish you the best of luck with your operation. For the record, I believe the new ceramic hip is better, and will last much longer. I now have the new ceramic hip along with a steel hip. Hope I have been of some help.

[[old] Ole Granny]

Hi, Jim. Ole Grampy speaking. <br> As you have already been told, much depends on the type of hip replacement and the approach used for inserting it. Having said that, first my confession! I am a retired orthopaedic surgeon. and have two replaced hips. I was on the erg, in both cases, before the sutures were out, naturally enough taking it pretty easy, but it was a great help in restoring mobility. I had prepared by making blocks to raise it enough above floor level to make it easy to get on and off. I suggest you tell your surgeon what you need, specifically to get better than 90 degrees of hip flexion in slight abduction (then when you row, come forward between your knees rather than having them pressed together and jamming against your abdomen to block things and strain your back). Any good hip replacement should be mechanically sound and stable from the time the wound is closed. I used to test those I inserted on the table before closure to check just that and got my patients up walking next day (or even that evening if their surgery had been in the morning). Hip prostheses vary greatly in durability. I used to do the Furlong hydroxyapatite-coated prosthesis with alumina/alumina bearing surfaces and was fortunate in having one other colleague in this country who also did it. When I retired three years ago I had had over 15 years experience with this implant and was impressed with its stability and endurance. Its special features are:- stability in the bone immediately through good mechanical interlock. Rapid bony ongrowth to the hydroxapatite coating (see below), extremely long survival (with negligible wear) of the alumina bearing surfaces. Hydroxyapatite is the mineral component of bone. Plasma-sprayed ceramic coating in vacuo has tremendous molecular adhesion to the underlying metal. When this coating is placed next to the raw bony surface it is treated like a fresh fracture and the bone grows onto it rapidly - it will only loosen if there is infection present (so avoid it in future and get any possible sepsis treated early and effectively). If you have alumina bearing surfaces remember that violent activity near the limit of range of movement (such as star jumps or getting dumped off a surfboard) can fracture the ceramic by chipping a fragment off the margin, which then wreaks havoc within the joint, so treat with respect - and I ferl that erging is just that. I have also been rowing on-water with no problems from the hips (though my knees are going which makes getting in and out of the boat awkward - and knee replacements are nowhere near as good, whatever "they" tell you!).<br> So don't let it scare you, choose a surgeon with imagination and discuss the movements involved with him fully, then go for it - building up range and power gently.<br> Best wishes and good luck,<br> Old Gramp

[[old] petersgene@hotmail.com]

I had my left hip replaced on April 8, 2002. They had me start exercises<br>(minor leg flexing) and then starting to walk with the walker (but without putting weight on the left leg) on the next day. I went home to a daughter's house in Scottsdale, Arizona, two days after the surgery. My instructions were to use the walker but to put no weight on the left leg for four weeks. Then I was to begin gradually increasing the weight on it. At my 5-week checkup, the doctor approved me to get rid of the walker and use a cane.<br><br>Also during that entire recuperation time, I was extremely serious about<br>doing the recommended leg exercises, even to the point of doing them several times a day. I'm convinced that my quick recuperation was greatly due to that. So I used the cane for three or four weeks, ultimately just part of the time.<br><br>My plans had been to lay off the rowing for six months, but the last week in<br>May I happened to be looking at my Concept2, and I thought, "Oh, I'll just<br>sit on it for a few minutes." Well, I sat, then I rolled back and forth on<br>the seat, and then I strapped my feet in, and then I did a very easy<br>500-meter row, pushing only with my right leg. Then next day was three 500s,<br>then the next day a 2000, etc. For quite a while I consciously pushed with<br>only my right leg (although I'm sure there was at least some subconscious<br>effort with the left one, too). Soon I was going full bore.<br><br>Well, by the end of 1992 I was going strong, so I decided to see if I<br>could average 10K per day for the entire calendar year of 2003. After<br>keeping that pace through February, I then got to thinking again and wondered<br>how many meters I had rowed since the surgery. Then I figured that if I<br>picked up my daily output a bit, I would hit two million by the end of April,<br>2003 (the Concept2 end of year). So that's what I did. I had no problems<br>whatsoever with the hip. <br><br>When I went in for my 1-year checkup, the X-rays showed everything was fine,<br>and my doctor said he would see me again between two and three years later.<br><br>Now I'm on schedule to hit the 20 million meter mark on October 15, my 70th birthday. I've averaged 15K per day for the last 19 months in order to reach this goal. I'm still at the point where I don't feel any hip pain or restrictions.<br><br>I had my surgery done at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ. I was totally<br>impressed with the doctors, the Clinic, and their hospital. I have heard<br>that other orthopedic surgeons use different methods after the surgery (e.g.,<br>prescribed therapy sessions). My Mayo doctor said he preferred not to go<br>that route because too often the therapists push the patient too hard. I<br>don't know how that compares with my own exercise regimen, but mine did work<br>out fine.<br><br>My wife's cousin's husband had a bad experience. A mailman, he had his first<br>replacement done about 20 years ago. When that wore out about three years<br>ago, he had a new one done in Tucson, but he had trouble with it right from<br>the start, limping noticeably and having recurring pain. He thought that was<br>par for the course for the second time around, but finally last summer he had<br>it checked out at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. They said it was not<br>properly done, so they redid the operation, with great success. Moral of the<br>story: be sure to check the credentials of the orthopedist who is to do the<br>operation.<br><br>Hanna Preiss (in Germany) also had hip replacement surgery done a few years<br>ago. I contacted her before I had mine done, and she assured me that she was<br>having no problem. In fact, in the Concept2 year of 5/1/2002 to 4/30/2003,<br>she ended up being in the top ten in the world (all ages, both weight<br>classes, both sexes) for total distance rowed. (She is also signed up with<br>the Ancient Mariners.)<br><br>Well, I'm sure you didn't expect an entire treatise in answer to your<br>question. Best of luck. Please drop me an E-mail occasionally and let me know<br>how things are going and how you are progressing. I hope this has helped<br>allay some of your doubts. And happy rowing! <br><br>Gene Peters, the Rowing RVer petersgene@hotmail.com<br><br>

[[old] TurboCog]

Hi guys - joined the forum today and thought I would add my hip experience. I'm a veteran racing cyclist aged 67. 2 years ago I had a bad fall from the bike which damaged the right hip. In spite of regular excercise and physio I didn't recover - in fact OA set in and rendered the hip almost immobile within months. 9 months ago I had a prcedure called 'The Birmingham Hip' which is basically a stainless steel ball and socket. It's main advantages being longetivity and bone economy. The initial post op problem was massif swelling - (this surgeon does not use drains). It took 7-8 days before the leg was flexible enough to get on to my indoor bike. I built up the daily bike sessions from 5 min to 1 hour over a month and then started to cycle outdoors. The surgeon said that there was no risk of dislocation with this hip procedure. So I rode a club 25 mile race just 12 weeks after the operation and did OK averaging about 23mph. The main problem was lack of flexibility. I could not close the trunk to form a racing position on the bike. This has improved enormously and I can now ride on dropped bars for a while. Last week I installed a C2 rower and have done 4 sessions with no hip problem whatsoever. I'm looking forward to doing some respectible times for the standard distances in a few months. Did a 22.30 for 5k on second session but being a newbie to rowing I think my technique is all wrong. Here in the UK the Birmingham hip is growing in popularity. The procedure is slightly more expensive than the conventional FHR and of course it has not got the history - the first one being done about 8 years ago. The Birmingham Hip is not available everywhere in the UK and it is usually prescribed for young or very active patients.