Hip Talk at Surfacehippy

There are some successful long term BHR patients here, hopefully they will chime in.  I'm only 10 months into my own BHR (metal on metal) and so far so good, it has been a real life changer.  To oversimplify what my doctor said, they've figured out the bugs and modern BHR implants are good.  The parts float on a layer of fluid from your body, similar to how oil in an engine works, so the metal should not be rubbing while you're moving unless something was done wrong.  My personal fear about ceramic would be cracking or chipping.  One thing I would look into, that I did not see until after my own surgery, is robotic assisted surgery.  The blurb I saw made it sound like a CNC type of thing that would be much more precise than a human could be, which in theory would improve odds of an ideal outcome.  My surgery was already done so I didn't look that much into it, but to me personally this would be worth looking more into. 

Hello everyone,

I'm finally scheduled for surgery in September for metal on metal Birmingham hip resurfacing. I'm coping fine but I've had to really easy off on sports and social life at the tender age of 36, so I do need this.

However, with the Recerf ceramic on ceramic implant being approved I feel like I'm signed up for obsolete technology, and it's causing me genuine panic. I had resigned to the fact it wouldn't be approved any time soon and now it's here on time but I'm out of luck as it's not been given the green light by the NHS.

My surgeon literally had the CoC implant on his desk and can give it to me if I pay out of pocket for the entire surgery (god knows how much, it's £14000 to go private just with the old implant I think), but if I go MoM it's free.

My surgeon said he wouldn't recommend it anyway as it's not got the years of proven efficacy the Birmingham hip has for active large young men like me... he'd only push for it if I was a woman facing regular full hip replacement, but I can't help but feel he's just being nice, not fully honest.

Honestly, am I fine to proceed? or am I better really pushing for CoC, even if that means delaying or paying... Any help or reassurance would be greatly appreciated.

I don't have a gym membership. I just do stuff non-stop around the house like use a manual reel mower on my 3/4 AC yard three times a week and stupid things like that LOL.  I'm averaging like 15k steps a day in July getting the activity like a caveman haha.

Thanks for the info.  Yes my Dr. had me on more of a conservative plan, but the last couple of months I've been really turning up the mountain biking and it feels great.  It's good to know the clicking/clunking thing went away for you, that's the only thing that has me concerned about longevity of the implant.  Mine comes and goes but seems to be trending away so hopefully I'll follow your trajectory.  It does feel like the soft tissues aren't holding the parts together firmly enough to me too.  Are you doing any weight lifting with your legs at this point (squats, RDLs, etc.)? 

I really do not feel that at all anymore. I will say I really felt like I "caught a gear" with progress from 10 months on. It's really when things began to feel more normal for me.  I also ramped up the activity and started pushing my recovery as far at more exertion and activity.  Remember that my right side is at 18 months now so it's a bit ahead of you. I still have a little more crankiness in the left that's at a year from time to time.

If I recall, you've been on a more conservative plan from your doctor, maybe that causes it to be a bit delayed but you are close.  I think that clunking and shifting is directly related to muscle and tissue strength coming back and holding everything together.

Hope it keeps improving for you!

Congrats on the almost 1 year!  I just hit 10 months myself. 

Regarding this: 

Quote from: BSarchet on October 30, 2024, 06:42:33 PMI get a little bit of shifting / clicking particularly when if shifting side to side or when I’m bending over and messing with something on the ground.  I don’t get it much other than those times. 

But I’m just writing it off as normal at this point. I think I just assume that I still have a ways to go on strengthening all my stabilizer muscles to make that continue to lessen.

Are you still feeling this?  Is it on both sides?  This is almost exactly what I'm feeling!  Riding my bike, walking, running, etc.. the hip is spectacular, but when bending over such as loading the clothes washer, or vacuuming, those things that have you bent plus moving left and right make it feel like it's clicking or clunking; zero sound, zero pain, just feels like it's a tad loose.  My only fear is hurting the implant.  Did your doctor say anything about it?  I see my doctor in 2 months for the 1 year checkup.

I had my one year checkup this week and was told my labs are looking good and my X-rays were perfect. I'm feeling great and have really been ramping up my activity levels the last few months.  I'm averaging about 15,000 steps per day, riding my bike up to about 15 miles, and have been playing pickleball.

Before the arthritis got bad I was running about 3-5 miles per day and I think I'm about to start kicking the tires on jogging again.

I asked my ortho if I should consider limiting my running if I want to try to maximize the life of my hips. He said that in well placed, well functioning prosthetics that 96% are still functioning at 19 years and I should do what brings me joy. I have to navigate what that is I guess because I do think about being on 45 when I got these and realistically what the life expectancy will be.

But until that time I'm feeling great and remain happy I found out about hip resurfacing.  I was told my next checkup would be X-rays at 10 years and to call with any issues.

So far this has been better than I could have expected.

Hi  Nice to hear from you and read your update.  My BHR is also 19 years old. Dr. De Smet in Belgium in 2006. I started this website and forum back then in 2005.  I still keep it running since I feel it is important for people to have information about hip resurfacing.  Not a lot has changed as far as surgeons doing and understanding hip resurfacing.  Devices have come and gone and now several new ones are in trials or use like the Polymotion trials in US and the ReCerf ceramic on ceramic approved overseas.  BHRs are still used for only men and the Adept is used overseas.  I hope you find a good solution for your knees.  Usually older hip resurfacing are not revised to a new hip resurfacing.  Usually revised to a THR.  I wish you the best.  Pat - owner of SurfaceHippy.info    

Hello,

I used to be on this forums a couple of decades ago. So long I forgot my username and just registered under a new name. Resurface Wright Conserve + 1/19/06. I didn't think this site was still around.

I'm 19 1/2 years into mine. I've had some groin pull pain, some groaning noises, and every once in a while it feels like a slight shift in there. I was checked out in 2022 at a big Boston Hospital and passed the cobalt test and a "limited MRI" which shows a little inflammation / fluid in there but was told no concerns. I had another cobalt test which was slightly higher this year but my new doc said it's not of a concern and it would have to be a much higher value to be alarmed. I also am having "sits bone" problems and had a shot in the upper hamstring tendon last month. With lots of sitting or activity like hours mowing lawn, etc I'm sore getting up. I don't know if it's hip related or not. Of course at almost 72 I'm concerned with my hip implant. And with mine and looked up this device only to find they ceased to make MoM hips back in 2016 and lots of lawsuits etc against Wright and others..

I live in Mass and now on a fixed income, so I can't just fly down to Baltimore, MD like in my working days. My new doc is in Massachusetts where I live. The first doc to check my hip thoroughly knows my original hip surgeon who I don't blame at all as I have learned it's the device, not the doctor! He had done over 400 of these when I got mine done.

My dilemma is I'm scheduled for a knee replacement on same leg next month and I AM bone on bone from a 25 year old hockey ACL injury so the occasional pain is real but I'm contemplating putting off knee and to talk with doc about my hip a little further. He isn't a big fan of resurfacings. He does hips and knees and it is a well rated doctor.

How are others doing with decades behind them for resurfacings?

And also are there any NEW PROVEN resurface decives and can someone with a troublesome device be revised with a NEW RELIABLE DEVICE RESURFACE???

Quote from: Banas1145 on July 09, 2025, 09:27:40 AMThank you for all of the info and the journal. It was great to see a timeline that was taken day by day.   
How long would you say it took for you to be 100%?   Are you able to run jump that kind of thing?  I am a very active person with an active job and I'm concerned about the timeline to return to normal (pre hip pain) life. 
Thanks

My doctor said no running, weights, motocross, basically nothing that puts a lot of stress on the femur for 1 year (to prevent breaking the neck before it builds bone density), I've got a few months left.  But I have been doing a lot of mountain biking and I have jogged across the back yard, and it feels great. 

Regarding 100%, that's a tough one, it's not identical to my other perfectly fine natural hip (yet?).  It IS a million times better than my pre-surgery hip, I was in so much pain and disabled, now zero pain and I feel able to do pretty much anything.  Absolutely zero regrets at this point, and it has truly given me my life back.  If I had to sum everything together and put a number on it, I would say its' 80-90% of my natural hip at this point, and still improving.  Mountain biking it's not holding me back at all, same for walking, I've jogged a few steps and it feels great, I feel like I could motocross today (counting the days!) and my son wants me to go wakeboarding with him and I feel like I could do that today without issue, but trying to be good and wait the full year.  So I think there's no magic rewind-to-before-hip-went-bad solution, but this is definitely the next best thing so far, and still getting better.