Hi,
this message board doesn't seem to attract as many responses as it once did, unfortunately.
Did you have slipped capital femoral epiphysis at age 10 which necessitated the pin insertions?
Are you in pain now because of the pins or because of hip degeneration?
Do you need a hip replacement or just pin removal?

I have had pins in both of my hips since age 13 and I am now 30. The pins don't bother me; the hip itself does. I know what you mean about not ever being totally pain free - i'm in that boat. It's a bummer. Especially at such a young age.

Jason, sorry I figured out how to post back on the site. In short I am curious about how dangerous it is removing the pins and then replacing the hips alll together. I am thinking that it must not be easy to be that invasive to bone that had something attached for 30 years. I can only say to you jason look down the road and if I am reading on this website from others like ourselfs it will not get any easier. Now all we have to do is find someone who had the pins removed and the hips replaced. Did you remember finding anyone like that on this site.

i undertand that pin removal can be quite time consuming. When pins have been in the bone for so many years, they don't come out easy due to calcification and the fact that the bone grows around the pins so tight. I would imagine they could do both the pin removal and hip replacement in one shot. If you are young and in good health, there really shouldn't be much of an issue.
Why do you need a hip replacement? And are the pins bothering you?

My legs have been going down hill since 1998. I have really never had a pain free day. Early on,,,,,,slight discomfort now sometime hips hurt sometimes walking thru the mall. It seems it takes longer for my hips to stop hurting. I have just turned 40 years and and that mean these pins have been in 30 years and it is effecting my life pysically, mentally, socially it even slowed me on my job and in these days, I need my job. I hope I can find someone that has had that experience, mater of fact a few

I had pins removed from both hips, at different times. One pin was in for 5 years the other in for about 6. My recovery was speedy and painless. Though I was only 16 at the time, I would imagine the recovery for you could be just as easy. It was an out patient surgery and I was walking on my leg again within 48 hours. Hope this helps
vanessa

I am 54 broke the femur in my right leg last year now having reoccuring pain with from the pin in the hip ball of that leg which was installed. I was told in can be removed. Anyone have a story to share on that. I am considering it.

Hi,
i would like to have the pin removed in my hip too! Left femur. Did you do it? Did you find out anything? Thanks for your help

I was hit by a car when I was 9. This started my hips growing out of socket. I had my first hip (right) surgery at age 10 with placement of pins. The doctor put them in to long and had to remove them 6 months later. Degenerative arthitis began its ugly reign. I had pins put in my left hip at age 11. I had total right hip replacement at age 12 years ago. That hip is great. Now, at age 47, I am faced with left hip replacement. The problem is, I still have 4 pins in that hip. Can anyone tell me what I am facing here. I was back to work in 2 weeks and off of crutches in 3 with my right hip replacement, but the pins had been removed several years prior. Thanks for your help.

wow! What a story. You had your right hip replaced at age 12? Or did I read that wrong?

As for your left hip: i'm not sure if they cant just replace the hip without having to remove the pins, or if they would have to remove the pins first. I think it might depend on the location of the pins in the femoral head......

I had scfe in bot hips, one four years ago and the other 2.5 yrs ago. I know how difficult it is to have a thr with the pins still in. Ive been trying to get my mom to let me have the pins removed, esp. Since htey arent buried all the way in my bone and are causeing me pain.
Can anyone tell me what my recovery would be like if I can get the surgery, and what kind of restrictions I would have?
Thanks a lot if u guys can

--jess

I had a slipped capital femoral epiphysis at age 15, 3 pins were put in and about a year later the were removed, I am now 26 years old, I have severe hip pain all the time, I to have got use to the pain, along with the help of pain meds which I have been on for all this time.

The pain was bothersom but I was still able to work okay and live life okay, until latley when the hip got much worse, to make a long story short on june 12th 2006, just 9 days from today, I am having my total hip replacement on my left hip, i'm told that I will fee much better. However I am scared out of my mind, i'll let you know how it goes, if anyone out there has had the replacement let me know how it went.

To answer your question it was not a big deal to get my pins removed, just don't let the docotors shoot cortozone into your hips all the time, it can make them worse. I don't think you can keep the pins in and have a replacement.

Goodluck

i am a mother of a young boy age 13 who has oins placed in his hips when he was 10 years old. one day he came home from school and told me his hip was hurting. he went anf took a nap, when he got up he was crying in agnony with right hip pain. i gave him tylenol and it didnt help him at all. 2 days later, i took him to the md ofice who put in the pins. the doc that had put in the pins was no longer there, so we saw a physician assistant. she was very rude and told him to take advil 3 times a day and come back in a week. well, he cried day after day. i called her back and she would not give him anything else for pain. it got so bad i had to take him to a clinic one night just tp get some pain releif. to make a long story short, we saw 7 different doctors 4 of which were orthopedics. finally we found one that said the pin needed to come out so he could have an mri. that is where we are at. it depends on what they find when they do the mri if he will have to have further surgery.l i dont remember the doctors telling me that this would be such a problem when they put them in. is this normal?

i am a mother of a young boy age 13 who has oins placed in his hips when he was 10 years old. one day he came home from school and told me his hip was hurting. he went anf took a nap, when he got up he was crying in agnony with right hip pain. i gave him tylenol and it didnt help him at all. 2 days later, i took him to the md ofice who put in the pins. the doc that had put in the pins was no longer there, so we saw a physician assistant. she was very rude and told him to take advil 3 times a day and come back in a week. well, he cried day after day. i called her back and she would not give him anything else for pain. it got so bad i had to take him to a clinic one night just tp get some pain releif. to make a long story short, we saw 7 different doctors 4 of which were orthopedics. finally we found one that said the pin needed to come out so he could have an mri. that is where we are at. it depends on what they find when they do the mri if he will have to have further surgery.l i dont remember the doctors telling me that this would be such a problem when they put them in. is this normal?

i had perthes disease as a child and 12 years ago i had a triple osteotomy ,over the years ive been in pain the surgeon advised me to have the pins out 2 years later but i never did now im in considerable pain and walk with crutches as putting weight on the leg is unbearable,i would like to know if anyone has had pins removed after theyve been in 12 years and weather they needed a hip replacement or weather the pain went away once the pins were out,i would be grateful of any replies as im petrified of the whole procedure thanks in advance

i was in a car accident about 2yrs ago and broke my left hip and also suffer from nerve damge. I live in pain but i quess i have learned to live with it.....but my question is has anyone ever tried acupuncture? things that have helped minerals,heating pad, and ice...many thanks...any advice will do...

jess

i had an rta in 01,resulting in me breaking my left femur,and some other stuff.got 2 pins done,one in top of femur and 1 from top down to my knee.not sure about a heating pad as i was told that the pin itself ends up taking in the heat and could damage muscle??getting the main pin removed next monday,was told i need it removed first and then possibly a hip replacement?hopefully the latter wont happen,but in alot of pain so anything would be better than the way things are right now.

i had an rta in 01,resulting in me breaking my left femur,and some other stuff.got 2 pins done,one in top of femur and 1 from top down to my knee.not sure about a heating pad as i was told that the pin itself ends up taking in the heat and could damage muscle??getting the main pin removed next monday,was told i need it removed first and then possibly a hip replacement?hopefully the latter wont happen,but in alot of pain so anything would be better than the way things are right now.

My mother is 80 years old and she has had a right leg femur operation a year and half ago. Her leg had an inner curvature and she complains of constant pain. We have consulted our doctor and he was against her removing the pins that are in her leg at this late age.

Any suggestions anyone? Are titanim pins removed at this age from the femur or do stay in a lifetime?

Looking forward to your replies.

ED

its good to see people discuss this b/c i often feel i'm the only one going through it but i got a total hip replaced when i 13 now i.m 25 and i need my other hip done i hated this pain my whole life but overall it made me a stronger person