Triathlon After Total Hip Replacement
Diddy5
Posts: 6
in General Chat
After undergoing a total hip replacement in March 2007 i have been advised to avoid traithlon! Looking for any comments, information or feedback from anyone out there who continues to participate after a similar procedure.
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Comments
Hope this helps you out.
Sounds to me like you are a determined fella - I trust that I would be asking the same question as you are if I had had the same op. I have not had the same op (yet!) but I have had four knee operations and have had similar advice to you. Maybe the person (Doctor??) that advised you not to compete in triathlon assumes you are going to rush out and complete the nearest Full Ironman! In my humble and medically inexperienced view I would have thought that keeping active after a hip replacement would be just what the doctor ordered! That is, provided the amount of pressure on the replacement joint was not too excessive.
Swimming and cycling, being less weight bearing I would assume would be complementary to your recovery and would not be a problem to your joint. If you concentrated on Sprint Triathlon with swims up to 750m, bike legs at up to 20k and runs at no more than 5k (with many less) I feel sure you could have a good future in the sport.
The full Ironman may be more of a problem but personally I get just as much of a buzz out of a Sprint as a longer events and the need for high running mileage in training and competing is vastly reduced. Indeed with plenty of swim training and solid bike miles, the cross training effect means your general fitness will set you up nicely for the shorter runs. Hope you are recovering well and that you get what you want from continued participation at whatever level you find appropriate.
The bottom line though would probably be to have a very in-depth discussion with someone who knows your case and who has a medical background but with a sporting bias. If they are fully aware of your history AND the type of triathlon work you want to do, you may find a way forward. Good luck.
chis
Adv form a GP with interest in Sports Med (ardkeen)
My 74 year old mum had both hips replaced in the last few years. She still golfs regularly and to quite a degree of success.
She had an accident getting out of the bath recently, one of the hips dislocating itself as she was stepping over the side.
She had it reinserted and had to wear a thick brace for several weeks.
She spoke to 3 doctors.
One said she could never golf again.
One said she can start again after the brace came off.
One said if the brace isn't inhibiting her action she can golf now!
Swimming will provide you with the best option for ongoing activity, as it places the least amount of stress on your "new" hip. Riding, whilst not as impact positive as running, will have a long term effect on the bearing surface of the prosthesis - without knowing what what exactly implanted it is difficult to determine what this impact will be. Running will excentuate any potential for wear and/or potentail failure of the bearing surface, depending on whether it is metal, ceramic or PE.
I would ask your surgeon what the bearing surface used in your replacement, and what he feels the potential issues could be if you continue to run etc.
It is worth remembering that even with the advances we have made in joint replacement surgery over the last 20 years, they are not the same as the ones we were born with and do have the potential for many reasons.
Happy to answer any questions you may have either in a PM or by email.
Thanks for your response - i have been having similar thoughts. Just signed up for a sprint in July!
Continuing to pursue medical advise with regards to longer term participation.
Diddy
Diddy
I guess if i can find someone who has had a THR and are particpating in triathlon / cycling then their experiences / advise would be useful.
Thanks.
Diddy
Would rather be cycling for longer - any views?
Do you know of any traithletes / cyclists who have had a THR and are now active? - would be keen to correspond with them.
Thanks
Diddy
I found this using a medical search engine: -
Metal ion levels in a triathlete with a metal-on-metal resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip.
[color=#0000ff]De Haan R[/color], [color=#0000ff]Campbell P[/color], [color=#0000ff]Reid S[/color], [color=#0000ff]Skipor AK[/color], [color=#0000ff]De Smet K[/color].[/align]ANCA Medical Center, Krijgslaan 181, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
A prospective study of serum and urinary ion levels was undertaken in a triathlete who had undergone a metal-on-metal resurfacing arthroplasty of the hip four years previously. The one month study period included the final two weeks of training, the day of the triathlon, and the two weeks immediately post-race. Serum cobalt and chromium levels did not vary significantly throughout this period, including levels recorded on the day after the 11-hour triathlon. Urinary excretion of chromium increased immediately after the race and had returned to pre-race levels six days later. The clinical implications are discussed.
PMID: 17463127 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
There is also a report of a second athlete who ran the NY marathon to have his metal ions tested. I have not been able to find the written paper on this.