Hip Joint Breakage
John T. Brinkmann
Description
Collection
Title:
Hip Joint Breakage
Creator:
John T. Brinkmann
Date:
9/5/2006
Text:
List Members,
I could use some ideas on this situation: We're working with an AK patient who has worn a hip joint/pelvic band/quad socket/hydraulic unit for 30+ years. He has experienced repeated breakage of the hip joint in the past, but has had more success after a stronger hip joint was used. Earlier in the year the distal component of the joint broke (just distal to the joint head, right above the lateral trimline. We repaired it with the same joint.
In March we provided a new prosthesis: C-leg, NU-RIC narrow ML socket, flexible inner liner/frame. The patient had a knee replacement on the contralateral side in April, and used the new prosthesis for a limited time until May/June. In early August he had some problems with the C-Leg, switched to the old prosthesis, and broke the hip joint after only a few days. He went back to using the new prosthesis with a loaner knee. He came in the other day with the hip joint on the new prosthesis broken (same place, just above the trimline).
So, to re-cap: He wore the old prosthesis for only a matter of weeks (spread out over a few months) and the new prosthesis for only a few months, most of that time on a limited basis due to his knee replacement surgery. He has broken 3 hip joints in about 8 months. In the case of the older prosthesis, the same brand hip joint was used (Foster) and placed in exactly the same location on the socket. The pelvic band on the old and new prostheses were duplicates of the orginal.
Some possibilities: He's placing more stress on the prosthesis due to the problems with the contralateral LE? Position of the hip joint - this might explain the breakage on the new socket, but not the old? He doesn't report a LLD and I haven't measured for one, but could the knee replacement have made a slight difference in length, putting more strain on the hip joint?
Any ideas would be appreciated.
John Brinkmann, CPO
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I could use some ideas on this situation: We're working with an AK patient who has worn a hip joint/pelvic band/quad socket/hydraulic unit for 30+ years. He has experienced repeated breakage of the hip joint in the past, but has had more success after a stronger hip joint was used. Earlier in the year the distal component of the joint broke (just distal to the joint head, right above the lateral trimline. We repaired it with the same joint.
In March we provided a new prosthesis: C-leg, NU-RIC narrow ML socket, flexible inner liner/frame. The patient had a knee replacement on the contralateral side in April, and used the new prosthesis for a limited time until May/June. In early August he had some problems with the C-Leg, switched to the old prosthesis, and broke the hip joint after only a few days. He went back to using the new prosthesis with a loaner knee. He came in the other day with the hip joint on the new prosthesis broken (same place, just above the trimline).
So, to re-cap: He wore the old prosthesis for only a matter of weeks (spread out over a few months) and the new prosthesis for only a few months, most of that time on a limited basis due to his knee replacement surgery. He has broken 3 hip joints in about 8 months. In the case of the older prosthesis, the same brand hip joint was used (Foster) and placed in exactly the same location on the socket. The pelvic band on the old and new prostheses were duplicates of the orginal.
Some possibilities: He's placing more stress on the prosthesis due to the problems with the contralateral LE? Position of the hip joint - this might explain the breakage on the new socket, but not the old? He doesn't report a LLD and I haven't measured for one, but could the knee replacement have made a slight difference in length, putting more strain on the hip joint?
Any ideas would be appreciated.
John Brinkmann, CPO
---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail.
Citation
John T. Brinkmann, “Hip Joint Breakage,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/227262.
