SCFE and its effects years later...

[Bethany88]

I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has had surgery for SCFE as a child and is now suffering from early onset arthritis and constant hip pain. I am 29 years old and has two surgeries to repair SCFE when I was 10 and 13. I was slightly overweight (not obese) as a child, which I have been told was a contributing factor. I was told to resume normal physical activity shortly after the second surgery, which I had done and continue to do. At 28, after vigorous weight training workouts, I began experiencing sharp groin and dull outer hip pain, and after finally going to see a doctor have been given a pretty crappy prognosis. The doctors seem to think that I have begun feeling the effects of arthritis and are talking eventual hip replacement as soon as 10 years from now. Is there anyone to whom this has happened? If so, how have you gone about physically making the best of it? What courses of action have you taken (cortisone, arthroscopic surgery, etc?) I just want some guidance from someone who has been through it, not a doctor telling me what "could" happen. Thanks.

[djay2013]

I had SCFE surgery at age 16.  I was always active as a kid but would chunk up a little before I would grow.  We had the 5th move of my childhood when I was almost 16.  I think the stress involved and possible injury while playing basketball could have led to my SCFE in my right hip.  This is the best message board I've found on this topic.  It seems to be an overlooked or little understood issue in the medical community.  When I first started hurting we went to a physical therapist who just warmed and cooled my hip joint in an effort to increase blood flow and mobility and gave me exercises to do.  Then after 2 weeks of that nothing improved.  I wasn't really in pain just couldn't move.  Then one morning I was walking through the house and the joint slipped completely!  I laid in bed for two days because the hospitals were all shut down for the dear hunt(we moved to a small town).  Really I think my dad thought it was something simple and not urgent.  We went to the hosptial and they sent me right up to the nearest hospital at in our states capital.  They did my surgery and acted like it was fixed and I'd be good after 6 months of being on crutches.  I had very limited mobility after surgery.  I also was very uncomfortable sitting on my butt.  It sucked.  Then I went on a mission for my church and was riding bikes a lot and it seemed to help because I was so active all the time though the tightness I experience to this day makes it hard to sit for long periods of time.  I played most sports I wanted well into my 20's but gave those up around the time I turned 27 in effort to save my joint as the hip has developed Arthritis and I want to be able to hold off a hip replacement as long as possible! I am now 31 and trying to do what I can to improve my range of motion.  I noticed someone mentioned they had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs which helped increase their range of motion.  Is there an update on that? I would like to know if others have had success with arthroscopic surgery.  I know this will be a battle the rest of my life.  I wish the doctor had recommended physical therapy after the surgery because I've been told by many docs that it might have helped restore my range of motion.  My muscles in my right leg usually hurt when I do lunges or try to touch my toes.  It's weird sometimes like a shock running up my leg if I do a lunge.  I'm not sure how to fix this.  Docs seem to be clueless about how to help.  I have noticed this has begun to impact my lower back.  I don't get why my range of motion is so limited is it just because the shape of my femur has been warped over time? Just to talk to someone about this would be therapeutic.  Everyone else seems to act like it's no big deal because I can walk but I can't even do a normal squat.  For someone who once loved sports this *****.  Any comments or ideas on how to increase range of motion or even some ideas on exercises to increase range of motion? I would love to sit indian style again or at least not grunt when trying to tie my shoes!

[pyp2007]

This thread has been a very welcome find online for me. I too had surgery at age of around 12 or 13 and I was diagnosed at the final stage when I could no longer walk anymore at school one day. Prior i had done all the drs appointments and seen many specialist and all said I was too fat and I should exercise more. I wasn't obese but was chubby. anyways the problem was bilateral and so both hips ultimately were affected. Both hips were subsequently pinned and was due to be removed at a later stage, which they (Dr's) would call me in to perform. Well they did'nt call me until I was 18, the procedure failed as the time had passed for them to attempt removal and bone had grown around the pin, so I was told. anyway I am now 39 and I have been suffering for the past 15 years or more with the severity increasing and my mobility seriously reducing. I am now in a battle to gather as much evidence to support my claim for being physically disabled. I sympathise with all the sufferers above. My pain is constant and isn't muscular its more metallic as in I can at times feel the pins and the pain is just unbearable. I use cannabis for pain management but here in UK its not recognised as a valid treatment so fund my medication personally. It's difficult being a father of 3 boys and a girl not being able to play in the yard with them, kick a ball about, ride a bike and go for walks.
I try nonetheless and just suffer the pain for a few days after.
Many thanks for this thread once again.

[Aggiekirb]

kirbymarie at gmail is the email. Also- sorry for the lengthy post!

[Aggiekirb]

Very cool to see everyone commenting on this thread throughout the years. I've been dealing with the aftermath of the SCFE surgery going on 13 years now(in Dec.) I am a female, was 11 when I started experiencing slight out of placement in my left hip during PE. Was playin rec basketball and select softball at the time so practice all week and games every weekend. I was very active and not the slightest over weight. When my hip started "popping out of place" I told my parents but they expressed that it was just growing pains (seems to be a parental trend^^ but no blame on my parents) Any who- basketball is a major contact sport and i was an aggressive player so I fell one day on the court- couldn't go to softball practice afterwards.. the pain started to get progressively worse from that moment. maybe a couple of weeks had passed by and I was on crutches at this point and finally had a dr. appt scheduled for Monday.  Got up Sunday morning and slipped and feel on the newly mopped floor. HOLY CRAP- this has been the worst pain I have ever felt in my entire life to this day! I cried all night long, couldn't sit, couldn't lay on either side, back or front, couldn't stand everything hurt I was terrified. Went to the Dr. on Monday and they did x-rays- IMMEDIATELY sent me to Scottish Rite (Dallas) and went into surgery that day. So this was Dec 2002. They stated all of characteristics of who this could happen to and I was the complete opposite of that (overweight, young, inactive male) They checked my thyroid levels and found I had hypothyroidism (under active). I guess this was the prognosis. Never played sports the same again. I just wasn't as good and there was some sort of void. In 2008 I got the screw taken out. I don't remember why. I think the doctors  just mentioned it to me and my parents as an option and we did it. They also offered me a surgery that would re-position my hip bone to give me more length and range of motion. I was actually scheduled to get this surgery done as well but ended up cancelling at the last minute because something did not feel right. In terms of emotional and physical trials more physical than emotional for me. I move on pretty quickly from things in an emotional sense. But I was 11- when you're this young you deal with things a bit easier I think. But physically I was and still am frustrated. I've always been advised to not run- no hard impacting physical activity- my xrays look like someone took my hip bone to a cheese grater! I don't know what it feels like to be normal, but i seem to deal with it well mentally. I haven't started experiencing any of the above peoples issue with the  excruciating constant pain. I have methods of dealing with pain like sleeping with a pillow between my legs or lengthy hip stretches to get some blood flowing in there.  So, here I am at 24- nothing has changed much in way of pain or range of motion. Sex is moderately uncomfortable at times but its more or less a mental thing. I've been to physio's and they have helped me develop some range of motion in there but it has to be a consistent effort on my end if I want progress. I've also developed a slight case of scoliosis because of the over compensation of my right hip. The left side of my ribs stick out further and my left hip is about 1 inch higher than my right. I wear an insert in my left tennis shoe to help with the correction but I don't always wear my tennis shoes. I'm trying to take care of myself so I don't face long term back and spinal issues all because my doctors didn't advise me on what  to do post-surgery. I mean they didn't even suggest physical therapy or anything. I wish they would have given me a little more guidance on what to look for when I got older. I've been active all my life- in the gym off and on but never out of shape. I modify exercises and am developing my own way of exercising through experience with my physical therapists. but the main reason why I started researching forums was because i am pregnant with my first child! i'm 20 weeks along and am wondering how my labor is going to turn out. I am a big naturalist- I want to have a drug free birth. I am really anticipating the time when I start to get closer to my due date. Am I going to experience problems? Will the baby have trouble getting out because of my hips being uneven or disproportionate. Little scary to think about but I have a strong faith in the Lord so I know everything will work itself out. Have any of y'all had issues with your labors? If anyone wants to contact me they can email me as well ***@****. Would love to hear feedback on pregnancy or any other remediation for pain.

[Brucemj]

Aggie.  Just found this forum so my reply is very late.  I had both my hips done 49 years ago and only recently have I started to have some problems.  I believe the reason I was practically pain-free for 49 years is that did cardio type sports (tennis, basketball, etc) and did running almost every day my entire life after the surgery.  I think the exercised kept good blood flowing to my hips and delayed the arthritis until I was 60.  Good luck.  You will do fine.

[Alan234]

Guys I'm 13 right now and I got a pin in my hip may 27 wed I'm soposed to be on crutches for 6 weeks and no sports for 3 months and I was wondering wen I'm older am I ganna have anny other pains and if my leg is Ganna be okay and if there is any ways to recover faster please and thanx

[Brucemj]

Alan.  Just found this forum so my reply is very late.  I had both my hips done 49 years ago and only recently have I started to have some problems.  I believe the reason I was practically pain-free for 49 years is that did cardio type sports (tennis, basketball, etc) and did running almost every day my entire life after the surgery.  I think the exercised kept good blood flowing to my hips and delayed the arthritis until I was 60.  Good luck.  You will do fine.

[Alan234]

Guys I'm 13 right now and I got a pin in my hip may 27 wed I'm soposed to be on crutches for 6 weeks and no sports for 3 months and I was wondering wen I'm older am I ganna have anny other pains and if my leg is Ganna be okay and if there is any ways to recover faster please and thanx