My knowledge comes from friends & they'd say 65 is better than 95 don't do it.

Try some natural alternatives; sam-e also a tablet twice daily of combined glucosamine & chondroitin (650 - 1000 mgs of each per tablet) & search the net for other natural aids but remember that the nnatural stuff takes abit of time to get into your system & start working be patient.

Hiya jason
I was born with a hip socket and when I was 8 the dr's pinned my hip in place which caused it to fuse, about a month ago i've just had a thr im in no pain now (apart from the physios doing there worse lol) ive gotta go back for my 6 week check in a couple of weeks so ill let u know how I get on.

Kerry

Hey there. Well I too had slipped epiphisis at about 12. Thankfully only in one hip the left one. They pinned it and then removed it about a year later. Well ever since I have not been pain free for one minute. I am now 21 years old and have since gotten an osteotomy when I was 18 years old. Well that did give me alot more movement in the hip which was definitly a good thing. So if you are not experiencing much pain it might be a good surgery for you, it is quite painful after of course cause they are breaking bones. Unfortunatly for me this also didn't take away my pain and has just gotten progressively worse. I should explain though that I had numerous bone spurs on the ball of the hip and it was also basically a square trying to fit into a circle, therefore banging up against the hip each time a moved. So since then I have gotten the metal removed from the osteotomy, cause they thought that was maybe causing me more pain, well that didn't work either. So now I have just recieved another surgery 3 weeks ago called a trochanteric advancement and contouring. So now just waiting. But I really need a hip replacement and they will not give one to me because I am too young. If I was you and wasn't experiencing much pain I would try to hold out alittle longer for any surgeries unless it is really effecting your lifestyle. Once they go in there and start playing with things you never know what can happen. We don't know for sure but think this might all stem from not leaving the pin in for long enough back when I was 12. Anyways just wanted to let you know there is someone out there with the same problems! I wish you luck with anything you decide to do!

Re hoping for no more pain
i'm curious what country removed the pin
i understand that in canada and the united states the practice currently is to leave the pin in place
in europe and australia they remove the pin -apparently by removing the pin there is less chance of arthritis later in life and if there are any procedures to the femur hip area without the removal of the pin-these procedures would be very difficult
in the last few months my son has had a screw inserted in his femur /hip
i want the best outcome for him and would appreciate any input on the remove or leave in the titanium screw
thank you

On the subject of pin removal after slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

My orthopedic physician had planned on removing the pins from my hips about 10 months after surgery. However, during those 10 months, the pins broke off inside the femur, thus making pin removal more difficult. The pieces of the pins that were closest to the outside edge of the femur were removed; the pieces that were deeper in in the bone were left alone. I still have two pieces in my right hip; one piece in my left. As far as the pins being left in the bone causing arthritis, I have never heard that belief. If done correctly, the pins are embedded totally inside the bone and would not interfere with the actual joint space or with the cartilage covering the femoral head. It's been 15 years since I had the pins put in my hips and I don't have any diagnosis of any arthritis of any consequence. Just the deformity of the femoral head which causes problems with movement.....

Thanks jasonanthony for the post
to what extent is your movement restricted?
My son is extremely athetic and involved in competitive soccer and tennis.
When you are active in sports do you experience pain?
Has your movement or hip pain or sensitivity become more severe as you age?
One of the reasons that the current thought in north america is to leave the pin in place is exactlly what you experienced. It is apparently common for the surgeons to have difficulty removing the pin and breakage to occur.
After your surgery did you participate in sports throughout your teens?
Thank-you
i appreciate your input, my own pediatricians have been practicing 25 years and have never seen this problem.

Overall I have a pretty good range of motion in my hips. I don't know if you are familiar with the differen't ranges of motion in the hip - internal and external rotation, abduction and adduction, e.T.C-but my overall movement is good. However, my internal rotation in both hips is moderately restricted. I think the normal ranges for internal rotation are about 40 degrees or so and I have about 10 degrees. That is my chief complaint as far as restricted hip movement is concerned. I am not as mobile as I would like to be, and I can't move as good as I would like to, but overall my hips are in good condition. I was and am very active in my day to day life. I ran track in my senior year of high school and was an avid cyclist for years. My hips held up well and allowed me to do just about anything I wanted. I am still active and I occassionally go for runs and I do alot of cycling and hiking. My hips aren't normal and as a result I suffer intermittent episodes of hip(leg) pain. Most of the pain is actually in my knee and shins; very rarely is the pain actually in my hip. The prognosis for a person with this condition is related directly to the severity of the slipped epiphysis. Do you know the severity of your sons slip? The greater the degree of slip, the greater the deformity to the femoral head, which in turn restricts movement and predisposes the hip to early osteoarthritis. ..I'd be interested in hearing your son's story. ...Another thing that I have been left with since the surgery is my sideways pointing walk. Instead of my feet pointing straight ahead, they point somewhat out towards the sides...Not too bad but a little bit.......
Take care,
jason

Hi jasonanthony,
thank-you for your reply.
As usual his condition was misdiagnosed. By the time I had questioned the initial reading of his x-ray he had displayed symptoms for over 2 months. There was a 30 percent slip in only one hip. The other one still appears normal.
Was your other hip normal but they placed the screw in it to prevent any differential in length.
There is still a 30 per cent chance his right leg could still slip until his growth plate closes.
He is very tall for his age and very athletic , not overweight.
He has experienced pain and his hip is often stiff since the operation.He has been particularly stiff after sports.
Although they often pin both hips even if the condition has not presented in the other hip -they chose to operate only on the left hip.
He too, has lost range of motion (internal rotation).
Ihave also noticed he walks with his foot pointing outward.
Do you think physiotherapy could provide any correction?
Have your doctors provided you with any suggestions?
It is very kind of you to share your experience with this condition and greatly appreciated.

I have never tried any physiotherapy for my hips but I would greatly look into that. I am sure that therapy will improve your sons range of motion and will help the muscles and ligaments around the joint from becoming too stiff. As far as my case went, I was having severe pain in my right leg for months prior to being evaluated by the orhto. My left leg never bothered me at all - not once. When I went for x-rays at the ortho doctor, he told me my left hip, in additon to the right, had slipped. My left hip was just starting to slip; it was in the early stages so that's why it wasn't too noticeable. This condition is really a pain in the butt, especially for people like your son and I who are very active. Placing the pins in the hips doesn't correct the problem, it only arrests it. The main problem - the deformity of the femoral head caused by the slip - is still there. Chances are that your son will make a good recovery and be able to do pretty much anything that he wants to do as far as sports and being active. The only thing is that with the deformity of the femoral head, he is bound to have pain and stiffness every once in a while. I don't know if your doctor has ever mentioned the possibility or option of having a reconstructive osteotomy operation on his hip. This operation will cut the upper end of the femur and will rotate the head to a more normal position. That will actually fix the problem. The downside to that operation is that it is a big operation with a long recovery time. The incision and the scar are usually about 12 inches long and there are more complications that can happen to the hip with this type of operation. I have entertained the thought of having this operation done for years, but I have never decided to do it. If my hip starts hurting alot and starts getting bad, then I would consider it....Has your sons doctor mentioned what your sons long term prognosis is? How long ago did your son have the pins put in? What are your sons thoughts on this problem?
See ya later,
jason

Hello! Isn't it weird that once you start looking you find other people who are in the same or similar situations as you are? I couldn't believe it when I saw these posts in here.

Here's my story if it helps anyone out there -
when I was 12, I was diagnosed with scfe in both my hips. Left hip was 60% and right hip was 5-10%. Immediately I was sent to the hospital and put into traction. A few days later I had surgery to have the left hip pinned. Once they got in, the deterioration of the hip was so bad, they had to do a bone graft from my pelvic bone to help repair the damage. The hip was pinned and a week later I had the right hip pinned. I had the pins removed a year later. My doctor said that he didn't believe leaving hardware in children.

Because of the severity of my left hip, my right leg started to become longer then my left. I had another surgery on my right leg to stop that leg from growing, hoping my left leg would "catch up." it didn't really. Then I had the problem of my left leg turning out. We tried physical therapy, but my doctor realized it was skeletal, not muscular. I ended up having another surgery to straighten my leg. They went in and broke my femur above my knee, turned my lower leg straight, then put a metal bracket inside along with about 30 pins to keep it there. I lived in a big ol' wrap-around-your-waist plastic molded brace for several months. I'll never forget the day it came off for the first time in the doctor's office. I nearly cried because my leg didn't flop to the side. It stayed straight. About a year later I had the metal bracket and pins removed. Again, my doctor didn't believe leaving hardware in children.

After all of my surgeries were completed, I wasn't allowed to be in any type of sport, which was hard because I was an avid softball player prior to all of this. Probably because of the severity and fragility of my left leg. My range of motion in my left leg was very limited. My right one felt/feels great!!!

I experienced discomfort most of my teenage years, and I also had the limp from my left leg being shorter (which was not good on my lower back as i'm realizing now). When I was about 20 or 21 I started having more frequent pain in my left leg. If I did strenuous activities, or walked around for a long time, my leg would really hurt. Then when I was 23, the pain was constant. I couldn't even walk in a mall for 15 minutes without being in severe pain. It was difficult to get up or sit down also. My pediatric ortho doc told me I would have to have a hip replacement younger than most people, but I never thought it would be in my 20's. I went to visit an orthopedic doctor, and he couldn't believe the x-ray of my left hip. It didn't even look like any resemblance to a hip. I looked at him and said, "oh, is that why it hurts?" he laughed. My right hip is perfect though - phew! He said I would have to have it replaced, but told me of the consequences of being so young. I agreed to think about it and he prescribed an anti-inflammatory to help the arthritis. About 6 months later I decided that the medication wasn't helping and I just wasn't leading any type of life because I just couldn't walk anywhere. He recommended me to another doctor he felt more confident in because of my young age. And what a blessing he was!! I had a total hip replacement 9 days after my 24th birthday. I was in the hospital for 5 days, and out of work for 11 weeks. My doctor was very impressed in my recovery. And it was remarkable!! Immediately you could tell the difference! Of course, the pain in my muscles killed because a) they had just been chopped through and b) hadn't been used like this in a long time. I go in for my 4 year check up tomorrow actually. I've had no problem and feel great! My range of motion has increased ten fold. I still have a bit of a problem rotating my leg in, but that is also from years of muscles not wanting to move that way. I'm still working on sitting on the floor with my legs crossed, like a yoga position, which I haven't been able to do for 17 years - but maybe someday I will be able to.

I will have to have one more replacement in my lifetime, possibly two. I'm hoping though that after my next one (which hopefully won't be for another 10 years), the technological advances will have improved, and the next one will be my last one. I really believe this was the best decision for me. I actually don't know anything about osteotomy, since it was never an option brought up to me, so unfortunately I can't weigh the pros and cons of osteotomy vs. Replacement.

Anyway - that is my story. I would love to be part of any discussions revolving around this. I think after my 7 surgeries, i'm a minor pro.

smsmith:

hey, great story. I hope you are doing well after your hip replacement. It has been very helpful to me to be able to read about other people who have had problems with their hips as I have and do. I think that in my case, eventually I will need a hip replacement. I am still many, many years away from needing a replacement, but it's always in the back of my mind. I bet you have really appreciated the improvement in your mobility thanks to the hip replacement. I know I would kill for more mobility in my hips. Do you plan on being active after fully recovering from your hip replacement? That's one of my concerns about having a hip replacement is my activity level. Even with all the pain and the stiffness that I experience due to my hips, I am a very, very active person. I bike, hike, sometimes run, workout at the gym, e.T.C. And I don't want to ever give any of that up. But I know with an artificial joint that it's wise to not overdo it. Did you get a ceramic hip replacement? I know the ceramic hips are supposed to be the best for young people due to their durability and propensity to wear less. I have done alot of research on the ceramics and have found that some doctors expect them to last a person 20,30, sometimes 40 years. Anyways, it was great to read your story. Before you had your hip replaced, how did you walk? Did you walk funny? Did people ever comment on your walk or your gait? I often times find myself trying to correct my walk in order to walk more normal...I guess it's done out of self-consciousness. Did your lack of mobility ever bother you in your day to day life? I know that since my hips don't move properly, I tend to overcompensate by using my back more than I should. Anyways, hope to hear from you soon and good luck to you....

Jason medina
cerritos, calif

Hi to all I am new here and hopping someone is still around on this topic. My name is kerrie my son is duncan. Duncan had a slipped femora in his left leg at the age of 13 (now 15) he had emergency surgery done and had screws in both hips (legs). Duncan is coming up to his last hospital visit and they are telling us he is to have them removed. The doctor that did the operation said that now they dont have to have them removed as the screws are titanium. But the doctor now (different) is saying he has to. Any views on this would be great as my son does not want to go through this again. Hope to hear from someone soon. His appointment is september the 9th. We are in australia. Cheers kerrie

Hi kerrie,

i still have my pins in both of my hips; they have been in there for over 15 years. I haven't had any problems with the pins whatsoever. The only real drawback that I know of is if your son ever has to have any reconstructive work done on his hips the pins will be in the way. Therefore, the pins would have to be removed at that time which would make the operation more difficult and time consuming.

Thank you for your reply jason. You had your pins for over 15 years so america must have stopped taking them out a long time ago why is australia sooooooo ar behind?? It is very frusturating and I dont know how to tackle this with the hospital. Cheers kerrie

I'm so glad I found this forum....Now if someone will hopefully just reply to my post.

I a 16 year old girl, and I stongly suspect that I have slipped capital femoral epiphysis in both my hips. I ride horseback, which puts some different strain on my hip joints, and I am rather athletic. I've seen varying estimates of how common it is, and also how prevalent it is in girls. Most sources say that boys get it more often, and i'm a little old to have developed this problem, but in my defense, i've grown 6 inches in the last three years. I entered puberty late for most girls, and definitely grew a lot later than most girls. So on with this.

One day in mid-october, I was walking out of the lunchline in school, and all of a sudden, there was an extremely sharp pain in the side of my left hip, and it hurt for the rest of that day whether I put weight on it or not. My joints used to click and pop, but since that day, my hips make sounds almost constantly, especially when I move. I went to the doctor the next day, and unluckily for me, the pain was gone when he flexed my hip joint. He basically blew me off, and I wasted my mom's $20. So now, it's been almost six weeks, and the popping has been more frequent, and so has the pain. My hips kind of feel like they're moving around in the sockets sometimes, too. Usually I go on crutches whenever the pain starts (free from walgreens, heck yeah!), and the it gets better for a while. I'm not very good with using words to describe things like pain, but I can visualize very well. The pain that I see is like very thin, long black cracks in a surface. Occasionally I feel pulling that looks like that, too. And I can't forget to mention that my knees are starting to hurt as well. Also, the symptoms began in my left hip back in october, and around the middle of this month, they eased off a little to make way for the same process to begin in my right hip. Today the right one hurt, so I borrowed crutches from the school nurse, and the stress of shifting all my weight (115 pounds, if that makes a difference in how much stress is put on?) to the left made them both hurt.

My mom, ever the optimist, keeps saying that i'm just growing again, but guess who's not so sure. I even showed her the literature that i'd found, and she won't believe me. It doesn't help that my younger sister needs surgery for her shoulder to tighten the muscles (total of $4000), and we can barely afford that. Could anyone who has had experience with a case of slipped capital femoral epiphysis let me know if this sounds anything like it, or if I am just overreacting. Thanks!! :d

Hey u must go get that checked out I am almost sure that u have it.I did in my left hip but I caught it early now I have had them both pinned I the one was only slipped about 5 percent and the other one not at all so I was really lucky.Go get it checked cause he sooner you catch it the lesser afect it will have on your life!!!I havent lost any movment or anything an I caught it early so you should try to!!!The best of luck to you I hope you get this message!!

Hey! My name is hayley I am 15 years old.
Im a sophomore in high school suffering from low mobility in both hips!
In my 7th grade year I developed a limping that got to be so bad both of my hips almost sliped all the way. I had the surgury where I got pins put in both hips, and I can still dance run play sports . But one thing I do miss is riding a bike. For ur question about the surgury im only 15 and dont feel much pain at all unless its days and days of hard physical activity. For u I would make sure think it through if thats what u really wanted. And if soo go for it. Im really worried what the future may hold for my hips. Because when I got scfe I was obease, tall, with a hormone deffecintce. Now im still tall great weight ( too skinny ppl say) and the hormones are great is only I would have known about it earlyer. If I may ask someone. Whos of a bit older age over 25 lets say.Do develop more restraints and less mobility!!!! Thanks alot. And jason just do what u feel is right!

Yes yes yes-* it sounds just like what I had exsperiencd in the first symptoms of scfe* I would get it checked out imediently weather u can get there with your mom or not. This is basicly if u want to walk or not. The earlyer u catch it the better you will be. I had odd feelings of the hips moving out of there sockets, I felt as if one leg was longer than the other, if limping developing defently get it checked out. And pain is a defentante. I hope I could help*
thanks

Is anyone here to reply to my message it would be helpful thanks*