Hip cartilage options?

[IanKay]

I have recently had keyhole surgery on my hip to remove 'boney spurs' that were causing impingement. unfortunately the spurs also shredded the cartilage and the surgeon had to remove around a quarter of it from the socket. I have been active my whole life; playing soccer at a competitive level however the surgeon has strongly suggested I never play again or else I will need a hip replacement. I want to know if there are any options to regain the cartilage in my hip??

[silverfox67]

      MSM and Hyaluronic Acid are supposed to help rebuild cartilage.  My daughter has connective tisssue disease and this is what she is taking to help...

     Hope this helps you, too.  Dr. Stengler recommended these supplements.

[carolanivey]

I think there have been some stem cell experiments to regrow cartilage, but I don't know that there have been human trials yet.

Otherwise I don't know of anything that will regrow cartilage. There are injections of a cushioning substance that can be done, however these are only temporary and quite painful to administer. The more active you are, the less time it lasts.

You might try getting a second or even third opinion from different surgeons who are up on the very latest techniques. Also keep in mind that joint replacement technology is advancing all the time. There is a new hip implant out there now that removes less bone and reportedly allows the patient to return to higher impact activities, even running. I can't have this done because I have the old style implants and too much bone has been removed.

Don't give up! Maybe you won't be able to return to high-level competition, but with the right surgeon and therapy I don't see why you can't continue to participate in the sport you love at some level.