rjc100

I just had my first big crash and came out with a hip fracture. Anyone else have this happen and advise info on recovery time and ability to get back in saddle afterwards?
I am 52 years old and just fisihed the best riding year I have ever had, both speed and distance. Now concerned I may not be able to match or improve on it like I planned?

akohekohe

What sort of a hip fracture do you have and how are they treating it?

bradtx

^+1

ro-monster

Ouch. Sorry to hear it. I've not had a fractured hip but I did shatter my shoulder in my first bicycle crash, at 54 (not counting the time I was hit by a car when I was 11). If your experience is anything like mine, you'll need to shift your focus for at least the next year, to just being able to get back on the bike and ride at all, and then to getting back to the point you started from.

But why the focus on speed and distance? Isn't enjoyment the real point of riding?

stapfam

At least you are coming up for the natural resting time due to weather. You may not be mobile on the legs for cycling or even walking for a while- but don't forget the rest of the body still has to be exercised. Time to start improving the upper body strength if nothing else while you are recovering. Then as the body gradually becomes more mobile- start the quad exercises and abdomen.

You may not be able to exxercise as much as you want- but by the spring you will have quads the size of your thighs- An upper body that will do you proud and a six pack like you used to have when you were in your late teens.

Just a pity that it they will be on a 50 year old body that has been neglected for the past few months.

Joking aside- you have some fitness about you now that is going to be lost if you don't do what you can to retain what you have. Just do what the docs and pain will allow you to do to while incapacitated.

Shifty

Your doctor should be able to advise you, but a fracture shouldn't keep you down that long, a couple months and you should be back. Did you need surgery?

ro-monster

It may not be that quick. A friend of mine was hit by a car on while on his bike and had his femur driven through his acetabulum. That's a hip fracture too. His doctors told him it would be a year before he could walk without pain. So much depends on what sort of fracture it is.

And you lose a lot of strength if the joint has to be immobilized. It takes a while to regain enough for even normal daily activities.

Doohickie

Well, yeah. If it was a crash in which speed was a contributing cause, you may want to slow down a bit.

zacster

I fractured my pelvis last fall at age 54. I was walking without crutches in about 10 days, pain was gone after about 6 weeks and I was back on the bike in the spring. The one thing I still haven't recovered from is the weight gain. YMMV

Today, on what was probably going to be my last ride of the season, my wheel got caught in a grate on the road, I went down and my tooth went completely through my lip. It took 13 stitches. I'm otherwise OK, a few other scrapes and bruises but nothing broken. My lip is a mess as you can imagine. Maybe the inability to eat will offset my weight gain and I'll lose a few ounces.

And most importantly, the bike is OK. Actually my biking days may be over. This is my 3rd accident in 5 years and while I love it, I don't like emergency rooms. At least the ER I was in today was nice.

rjc100

The fracture is at the ball at the top of the femur. The Dr put screws in it but only gave a 30% chance of full healing and saide a replacement may be in order,

Bare Feet

Sorry to hear about your crash . .cr&p! I sure hope you are a lucky person and hit the 30% full healing jackpot! Best wishes.

wobblyoldgeezer

Just my own experience - I wouldn't be a good forum member if I didn't offer what I have, but I don't want to strain the patience of folk here who have given me a lot of good wishes...

Oct 30 last year, spiral fracture of the top of the left femur. About Nov 10th, re-cracked the joint plus 2 further fractures just above the knee where the inserted rod was anchored - transferred stresses from a combination of rod positioning and too much movement, nursing staff moving my leg to get rid of the wound staples - not their fault in any way, just a combination of factors creating a weakness.

On the bike in February. Walking crutch free in April. Now, as good as I ever was on the bike - which is largely non-weight bearing. But not walking any serious distances or running yet, and wanting to.

Now, I have to decide whether to go back into surgery to get rid of the rods and pins, hoping to be able to walk and run without the sensation of the internal fixings stabbing me, or just to put up with it.

I wish you well with your recovery, and in my case, getting back on the bike was a big part of recovering health, leg strength and optimism

Daspydyr 

Dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli and spinach should be in your future. They always should be, but now more than ever.

I had both hips replaced in 2008. (age of 54) It has been a great experience. Takes about 6 weeks to recover, but for me the improvment was incredible.

Heal fast and use the down time to look at better tires. No one wants to slow down! I bet it was an equipment issue, not rider error, couldn't be!

akohekohe

Well, I had a femur neck fracture six years ago when I was 50 and they put in three titanium screws. Six months later I road my bike on a nine week 4,200 mile trip from Seattle to Boston. No lasting effects at all and the titanium screws don't show up on the metal detectors either. Sure hope you can avoid the hip replacement. I'm guessing your odds are better than 30% and the doctor is being conservative so you won't be as disappointed if you do need the hip replacement.

Stevie47

Same story for me. I broke my femoral neck almost 4 years ago. They put three screws in and everyone crossed their fingers that the blood flow wasn't damaged requiring hip replacement. As soon as I could manage to crawl onto an old recumbent trainer I have, I did so (at about 5 days after the crash). I started with just 5 minutes, next day longer, etc until I was able to crawl onto my regular bike trainer. That was at about 2 weeks. At about 1 month I was putting some pretty serious efforts in on the trainer. My first bike ride was at 6 weeks.

I have to believe that working my legs hard contributed to the healing and blood flow.

But, N=1. Good luck to you

nedgoudy

i broke the femoral head of my right hip in 2002
within .5 miles of the end of the Acura Bike Ride
before the LA Marathon.

I was told by my surgeon (who did and excellent job)
that the break i had was the worst possible. 3 steel
pins inserted through the top of my femor cap.

i was on a walker for 2 months. 2 weeks later i
got on the same EZ-1 recumbent and rode a round
trip of 88 miles from the San Gabriel Valley to San Bernardino
and back. I strapped a cane on the back of the bent just in case
i ran into a problem.

my history since with mere bike riding was GREAT. yours should b
too. I have however for the last year taken Tai Chi instruction 3 times
a week and while my legs are stronger and i am in some wise fitter, the
level of pain in my hip has increased and sometimes i am very stiff and
even walk with a bit of a limp. I intend to keep my 3 steel pins as long
as possible before getting a replacement as i understand their are movement
restrictions with a replacement that i don't want to deal with for continued Tai Chi
practice.

ned

DnvrFox

They use a minimally invasive procedure for hip replacement here in Denver that may not lead to these restrictions.

Check our Dr. craig Loucks and Dr. Greenhow.

https://www.skyridge.ehc.com/CustomPa...D58C26E9F8A%7D

https://www.peakorthopedics.com/

Ibslow

I shattered my femur at the hip joint on 6/12 of this year. I have a rod from the hip to just above the knee as well as three clamps, screws and another rod into the hip joint. I got on a trainer in August and on the bike in September. I still limp but the bike doesn't bother me. I started with weights for the upper body in August. I ride about 50 miles a week now. I ride three times a week and lift twice a week. It has been hard but well worth the effort. I am 66.
Hang in there listen to your body and it will get better with some work.

colnagoaddict

Hi rjc
I just had a hip fracture injury mid Oct. Sounds like a similar fracture to yours. Also, this is my first major injury and also like you I am coming back from an awesome season (4 centuries and all 5 passes of the Death Ride in CA). Anyway, my prognosis was 100% recovery for biking by Feb. So far, I have been doing phys therapy religiously. Was on a walker for 6 weeks and now I am on a cane but can walk without. Started light weight exercises as well. I'd love to understand why your doctor only said 30% and mine was optimistic for 100% recovery. One difference which I am sure is not a big one is that I am 47.

B. Carfree

Ouch, so sorry to hear about your injury. My only serious injury happened when I was in my mid-40s while coaching soccer. I had my heel bone blow through the ankle joint. It was a couple of months post-op before I could walk again. The best thing my wife ever did for me was to refuse to bring me much food while I was sedentary. I lost a few pounds which made it much easier to get back on my feet. Stay hungry, every pound of load decreases your full recovery chances.

HOMER68

need to talk to you, please email me wood12354@yahoo.com

HOMER68

need to talk to you, please email me




wood12354@yahoo.com

02Giant 

If you haven't yet, PM them. Their stat page shows they haven't posted since March of this year, maybe they receive email notifications.

HOMER68

Hey guys, I have same story, bike crash, hip fracture, I am looking for Stevie 47, because he said, he was working on training bike, to get the blood flow in his bones (avoiding AVN), I am doing the same thing, just want to know his result. If you know him, or you had problem with AVN, please email me. thanks
wood12354@yahoo.com

HOMER68

Hey, thank you for your help, how do you PM him? what does PM mean? thanks