Cycling after hip replacement
 

65 years young and I just had my first hip replacement. Been a week and a half and it feels better.

I'm wanting to get back to riding, probably won't happen for a couple of months, my question is who has had the procedure and how do you feel once you started back riding?

I had a hip fracture (not a replacement). These take longer than hip replacements to heal.

The doctor told me 12 weeks before I could walk and ride again.

I was on a trainer at 5 weeks, riding on the road at 8 weeks.

It probably took me 2 months or so after that to regain the strength. A few days per week in the weight room, and lots of riding every day.

If you have access to a trainer, I recommend you give it a try. Let pain be your guide.

I had a total hip replacement in August 2018 caused by a bike crash. I had the procedure where they came in from the side (versus the newer anterior procedure). Recovery is different depending on the procedure. I was walking without a cane in two weeks. I started walking several miles a day in 3 weeks following along with my golf buddies. Started riding the trainer at 8 weeks. Started back road riding at 10-12 weeks. Restarted golf at 14 weeks. Note, I had to mount my bike on the trainer using a step stool as I was limited on the legs range of motion for a while.

I was able to do 5 week long bike tours in 2019 and rode 6000+ miles for the year. It took about a year for the hip to feel close to normal. It’s now been 2+ years and my cycling fitness feels like it’s returning to the pre crash level. I’m 68 years old. I’ve lost a little leg strength and also some cardio because I was off the bike for that period. It’s hard to get the cardio back to my pre crash level and I just haven’t felt like making that kind of effort.

if you have questions I’d be happy to assist. Best to follow the surgeon’s and PTs advice on what they will allow. But do listen to your body and do what you feel like doing.

Its been about a week and a half. I had the posterior, or maybe the anterior, procedure. I am starting with a cane this week. It feels okay but no where near walking several miles. I'm hopeful that I'll get near to where you are in a couple of years but the other hip needs replacement soon.

Moved to Pills and Ills.

what weight /exercises? Upper body or legs/hips?

I'm doing leg and hip exercises that the PT has given me. I plan to start walking once I get released from my surgeon on Thursday. Goal is to strengthen the hip so that the other can get replaced asap.

My wife had a hip replacement in November and has been back on the bike since decent weather returned to DC in March. I broke my hip a few years back and was off the bike for several months but back to normal by the following season.

Two weeks post op and I'm starting on stairs and walking down the driveway. I'm thinking of PT on a recumbent bike trainer.

I need both arthritic hips replaced. On the one hand I look forward to eliminating the pain and reduced mobility. On the other hand, it's two surgeries with rehab. It helps to read here that there is life and cycling with new hips.

fat biker

Old thread, possibly new rehab info.
Chris Carmichael had a hip replaced and of course had a training plan: https://trainright.com/the-hip-repla...-arthroplasty/

Thank you for posting that. Sorry this is reviving an older thread, but ...

In one of the comments on Carmichael's posted training plan, a dual mobility implant is suggested. It seems like one of the major concerns for cyclists is the possibility of post-operative dislocation, and from what I've read so far, the dual mobility implant pretty much eliminates this complication. My wife is looking at this in the fairly near future, and just had the surgical consultation. It seems like the default assumption is that the patient is a sessile couch potato. The consult reminded me of some of the reasons I prematurely terminated med school.

That's kinda what I encountered with my heart issue. Took a year to get that idea through to the docs.

Anyone have experience with a dual mobility implant ?

I know it’s been a couple of years or so but how are you doing? I broke my hip 5 weeks ago . The surgeon put 3 screws in there to hold it together while it grows back together . I did the typical neck area on the femur below the ball. I’ve been with a cane since the first week , they gave me a walker but that only lasted a couple of days. My follow up showed that everything is holding wel . I am still having some pain but I’m able to work a bit . I’m trying to get into PT but the soonest they can take me is the end of the month. I want to be on my bike before the end of the year as long as I can handle the pain. This is one heck of a painful experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Yeah, hip fractures are quite a pain. That's great that you're walking with a cane. I was able to ride on a trainer as soon as I was able to walk with a cane.

My fracture was in 2002, broke the trochanter into 4 pieces. There was talk about doing a hip replacement, but the surgeon said he could repair it. The surgeon used something called a "compression hip screw" to pull all the pieces back together:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3b07a04df2.png
The device is still in there, as the doctor said I should keep it unless it causes discomfort, and it doesn't. Other than some reduced flexibility (I can't bring my knee to my chest), there are no lingering effects.

My advice is to get moving as soon as you can, and move as much as you can tolerate. Just don't fall. PT is going to be lots of knee and hip extensions/flexions, so if you have gym membership, you can use their machines.

terrymorse, that is encouraging. I have three 7mm x 95mm screws. They will stay there . I plan to set up my trainer tomorrow just to try and see what happens. There are times I am still feeling a lot of pain but it is getting better. My surgeon said the same thing as you “don’t fall”! Thank you for the update. I’m glad you have recovered.

I had bike go out from under me on ice in Dec 2015. Had a non dsiplaced hip fractuce at the neck. The surgeon did 3 canulated screws and I walk around the hospital floor 3 times about 4 hours later. I went home with catheter due to enlarged prostate (BPH) and that was worse than the surgery for one week. I was always able to walk but had to be careful. The doctor knew me and I started out right away doing my own PT. They gave me the stuff and I went at it at home. DR allowed me to get on the trainer a week after surgery as long as I did not push or hae pain. I remember I could not bend easy to reach drops has to ride upright.

I was walking for a bit after about 6 weeks on treadmill easy. I went back to riding outside in about 9 weeks. Finally I am a long distance runner and was able to run 5 miles at about 16 weeks. I was very lucky with it not being displace fx. There is a chance always that hip does not get blood flow and hip replacement is necessay due to the way it flows into the head of hip/femur. I was on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception I felt the prayers.

The update these days is I still have the screws in they don't come out and I cannot tell they are there or any real difference. The only downside is after 42 years of long distance running I developed Runner's dystonia and cannot really run. The brain has forgotten how but that is another story. Be careful on the bike I don't go near ice or snow and even gravel,

I have been walking short distances without the cane and today I did a short ride on my wife’s beach cruiser. The ride felt great , no problem pedaling even when accelerating. I am at almost 8 weeks. The pain starts to get much worse after about 4 hours of working. Tylenol or ibuprofen works . The three screws will probably stay as I can’t tell that they are there. I see the surgeon in another week . The (almost) 8 weeks of pain have tested me beyond my limits at times and my wife has been terrific at talking me down. I tried getting on my trainer , but no go. The bike is a standard road bike and swinging my leg or trying to step on felt unsafe. The beach cruiser is a step through Townie with Flat Foot design , perfect for my situation. I will continue to walk but over a mile I will take my cane , just in case. My surgeon tells me the pain from a hip repair is greater than that of replacement but I have nothing to compare what I’ve been through. I would not wish this on anyone.

Update , for those that are paying attention. I actually tried throwing my leg over my vintage Colnago yesterday . I made it , barely , but it hurt a bit . This morning I did some stretching and tried it again . It still hurt but , once I was there, decided to pedal. I ended up doing about 10 minutes riding laps around my building where my shop is. I gotta say ... It Was Fantastic!!!! Feeling the wind, pedaling that old racer , shifting the gears , and braking all went very smooth. Getting on and off hurts and I put my back against the building so I don't fall while getting off. My left leg is feeling the ride a bit , but I will build it up quickly once I start riding again. Joe

I had THR anterior, on my left hip on July 14th.
On Aug 14th, I was released for the pool. Fortunately, it stayed warm here in MD until mid-Sept, and I did a lot o walking in the shallow end and some laps.
On Sept 7th, I was released for anything.
I rode a few times on my Zwift in the basement, 8-10 miles at an easy pace (no hills on my Hub).
I went outside near the end of Sept and overdid it. 15+ plus miles was too much, even on the relatively flat C&O Canal (I'm 2.5 miles from the Canal, with some hills). I backed it down to 8-10 mile rides and tried to keep my pace not over 15 mph. Cycling on the bike, I had no pain/issues, but the next day my left thigh was very sore.
This weekend, I rode 15 miles Saturday at a 14.5 mph pace and had no issues.
Last night,I rotated the tires on my Avalon, and my thigh is sore today.
The doc told me I'd have soreness for until mid-January and let my body pace my activity.
It's been tough, not leaping right back into where I was pre-op.
I do a lot of stretching 3x's day, that really helps.

My wife after her hip replacement was back bicycling within a few weeks. What helped her a great deal was finding a competent therapist who could stretch the joint to prevent scar tissue from building up or connective tissue from shortening. The person she found practices Active Release technique and this made all the difference in the world in terms of her recovery in the months following the operation.