Dislocated Hip - nurse

para33 · 10-01-2008, 01:47 AM

Im a t12-l1 active para.
I have a dislocated left hip. The doctors have looked at it over the years.
They always told me that if its not bothering me/causing pain and Im not walking, staying in the chair, I should leave it alone. I took their advice, but now some 18 years later, its starting to bother me. Im getting terrible pain in the groin area, especially when I do a push up in my chair. The pain is unbearable at times. Its right in the fold where the leg meets the pelvis. Right in the middle. Im sure its probably the hip, as the bone is out of the socket. I want to get it fixed, but I dont know where to begin.
I dont have an SCI doctor. Only a GP and a urologist. Do I even need to see a sci doctor or can I just directly go to an orthopedic surgeon. Will the ortopedic surgeon have any knowledge of spinal cord injury issues? What is the aftercare? Can I just go home and continue with normal life from my chair, or do i need PT after surgery? Can you recommend an orthopedic surgeon in the Northern New Jersey area. Please, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mona~on~wheels · 10-01-2008, 07:02 PM

I hope the Dr's can help you get rid of your pain.
God bless you.

lynnifer · 10-01-2008, 07:18 PM

Just to satisfy my own curiousity, do you favour transferring out of your chair to the left always?

I've always schooched to the corner, twisted and then lifted ... but sometimes there was no support for that hip and I'd hear it 'click'. I've got some rotation going on, which is bothering a pressure sore on the outside of my foot. I suspect the root of the problem to be in the hip.

hlh · 10-01-2008, 09:00 PM

Wow - it is hard for me to imagine that you have had your hip dislocated for so long! And that it is only giving you trouble now.... You definitely deserve some serious pain meds. It must hurt like hell. I am so sorry they didn't fix this years ago, but it certainly should be addressed now. Certainly see an orthopedic surgeon, but they will not know anything about spinal cord injury.

But you are lucky about one thing.... The amazing Kessler Rehabilitation Center actually serves your area of Northern New Jersey and it is one of the top places in the country (probably the world) for spinal cord injury. It's time you got yourself hooked in. It couldn't hurt to have a physiatrist to help you in the future, and it is likely that they even work closely with some orthopedic surgeons and can help give you advice.

Kessler in West Orange

Call them at 1-800-KESSLER

Ask for the spinal cord injury outpatient clinic and ask if you can schedule an urgent new patient appointment. If the receptionist when you call isn't sure where to send you, you could try asking directly for the outpatient clinic scheduler for one of the following doctors...

Dr. Barbara Benevento
Dr. Steven Kishblum

These are both physiatrists with specialized certification in spinal cord injury and they direct the spinal cord injury programs at Kessler, as best as I can tell. Ask for the next available urgent appointment, get on a cancellation list, even offer to be seen by a resident if possible to be seen soon.

Also, I suspect the spinal cord injury nurses on this site may be able to give you more advice, and even a name of an orthopedic surgeon - as this site (and Dr. Wise Young) also originate from New Jersey!

Hang in there, take pain medicine (call your PCP and ask him for something stronger), call Kessler, and make sure you have a GOOD surgeon before you let them do anything.

And if you get hooked into Kessler now, after your surgery you can go there for outpatient PT. It should be really good.

SCI-Nurse · 10-01-2008, 11:15 PM

If you don't have an SCI doctor, just go to orthopedic surgeon, and look for one who treats SCI pts. X-rys are needed.

CWO

10-01-2008, 01:47 AM	#1
para33 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 118	Dislocated Hip - nurse Im a t12-l1 active para. I have a dislocated left hip. The doctors have looked at it over the years. They always told me that if its not bothering me/causing pain and Im not walking, staying in the chair, I should leave it alone. I took their advice, but now some 18 years later, its starting to bother me. Im getting terrible pain in the groin area, especially when I do a push up in my chair. The pain is unbearable at times. Its right in the fold where the leg meets the pelvis. Right in the middle. Im sure its probably the hip, as the bone is out of the socket. I want to get it fixed, but I dont know where to begin. I dont have an SCI doctor. Only a GP and a urologist. Do I even need to see a sci doctor or can I just directly go to an orthopedic surgeon. Will the ortopedic surgeon have any knowledge of spinal cord injury issues? What is the aftercare? Can I just go home and continue with normal life from my chair, or do i need PT after surgery? Can you recommend an orthopedic surgeon in the Northern New Jersey area. Please, any help would be greatly appreciated.

10-01-2008, 07:18 PM	#3
lynnifer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Windsor ON Canada Posts: 15,299	Just to satisfy my own curiousity, do you favour transferring out of your chair to the left always? I've always schooched to the corner, twisted and then lifted ... but sometimes there was no support for that hip and I'd hear it 'click'. I've got some rotation going on, which is bothering a pressure sore on the outside of my foot. I suspect the root of the problem to be in the hip. __________________ I think over again my small adventures, My fears, Those small ones that seemed so big, For all the vital things I had to get and to reach; And yet there is only one great thing, The only thing, To live to see the great day that dawns And the light that fills the world. Anonymous (Inuit, 19th century) T-11 Flaccid Paraplegic due to TM July 1985 @ age 12

10-01-2008, 09:00 PM	#4
hlh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: US Posts: 1,034	Wow - it is hard for me to imagine that you have had your hip dislocated for so long! And that it is only giving you trouble now.... You definitely deserve some serious pain meds. It must hurt like hell. I am so sorry they didn't fix this years ago, but it certainly should be addressed now. Certainly see an orthopedic surgeon, but they will not know anything about spinal cord injury. But you are lucky about one thing.... The amazing Kessler Rehabilitation Center actually serves your area of Northern New Jersey and it is one of the top places in the country (probably the world) for spinal cord injury. It's time you got yourself hooked in. It couldn't hurt to have a physiatrist to help you in the future, and it is likely that they even work closely with some orthopedic surgeons and can help give you advice. Kessler in West Orange Call them at 1-800-KESSLER Ask for the spinal cord injury outpatient clinic and ask if you can schedule an urgent new patient appointment. If the receptionist when you call isn't sure where to send you, you could try asking directly for the outpatient clinic scheduler for one of the following doctors... Dr. Barbara Benevento Dr. Steven Kishblum These are both physiatrists with specialized certification in spinal cord injury and they direct the spinal cord injury programs at Kessler, as best as I can tell. Ask for the next available urgent appointment, get on a cancellation list, even offer to be seen by a resident if possible to be seen soon. Also, I suspect the spinal cord injury nurses on this site may be able to give you more advice, and even a name of an orthopedic surgeon - as this site (and Dr. Wise Young) also originate from New Jersey! Hang in there, take pain medicine (call your PCP and ask him for something stronger), call Kessler, and make sure you have a GOOD surgeon before you let them do anything. And if you get hooked into Kessler now, after your surgery you can go there for outpatient PT. It should be really good. Last edited by hlh; 10-01-2008 at 09:14 PM.

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10-01-2008, 07:02 PM	#2
Mona~on~wheels Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Cleburne, Texas, USA Posts: 5,640	I hope the Dr's can help you get rid of your pain. God bless you.

10-01-2008, 11:15 PM	#5
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,306	If you don't have an SCI doctor, just go to orthopedic surgeon, and look for one who treats SCI pts. X-rys are needed. CWO