Non-motoring > Dynamic hip screw Miscellaneous
Thread Author: John Boy Replies: 12
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 16:38 
 Dynamic hip screw - John Boy
On 2 June I fell off my bike, landing on and breaking my hip on the concrete of Bexhill promenade. I had the above operation locally the next day. They had me sitting on a chair the day after and, 18 days later, discharged me. I'm moving about indoors with elbow crutches and a frame, but it's more painful than it was in the hospital. A physio came the other day and told me that I can expect pain after that op. That was reassuring because I thought I might be doing harm by moving too much.

Anyway, I'd like to know if anyone else on here has had the same operation?
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 17:09 
 Dynamic hip screw - Zero
Yeah, Broke the neck of the femur, had a screw and plate put in.

Physio had me up and walking with crutches on day 2. Discharged after 5 days, twice weekly physio at the hospital, Worked my dog at a show after 5 weeks.

Hip fractures vary, what part did you break? Any fracture, mobility as much as you can is key for continued mobility later on.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 3 Jul 22 at 17:10
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 17:27 
 Dynamic hip screw - Bromptonaut
Almost exactly ten years ago today I came off the Brompton on the car park at Northampton Station and broke the neck of my left femur (and my collar bone).

Had the hip screwed next day with what I think was called a cannulated screw or screws. The cannulated bit apparently meant they had some means to improve blood flow reducing the risk if the bone dying. Out of bed within 24 hours and quick physio exercises to show me how to use elbow crutches. That was followed by lessons in managing stairs with crutches.

Discharged home roughly a week post accident with instructions to stay on crutches for six weeks. To be honest the collar bone, left to its own devices, was far more painful than the leg. Took me quite a while to get past the hobbling stage; was using a trekking pole as a stick for a while.

Doctor advised against getting back on the bike until maybe three months post accident. Actually found that using a 'Boris Bike' in London was far more comfortable than bus or tube. Back on the Brompton by late August.

No long lasting after effects. The right hip gyps sometimes but not the left. It's certainly not stopped me doing anything.

Family say I have an odd gait but I think I developed that after damaging my knees cycling too highly geared in the early eighties.
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 18:14 
 Dynamic hip screw - John Boy
Thanks for those reassuring replies. I broke the neck of the femur. I was kept in hospital quite a long time as I live alone in a house and a rehabilitation package had to be organised. I'm hopeful for a fairly rapid recovery as I'm reasonably fit and not overweight. I'm 78 and was told that is young for a hip fracture.
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 19:29 
 Dynamic hip screw - Bromptonaut
>>I'm 78 and was told that is young for a hip fracture.

Jeez, I was 52. Youngest on the ward by about 30 years apart from somebody who'd had a motorbike accident.

Some concern that I was suffering from bone thinning. Had scans and got a bollow king from the GP for not accepting treatment with Alandroic Acid.

My own rationale is that the Brompton did a flick roll under me and dropped me more or less vertically from saddle height onto steel decking. Not just a normal topple but an oddity of a small wheel bike at low speed.
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 19:42 
 Dynamic hip screw - Zero
>> >>I'm 78 and was told that is young for a hip fracture.
>>
>> Jeez, I was 52. Youngest on the ward by about 30 years apart from somebody
>> who'd had a motorbike accident.

Yeah mens orthopaedic is a graveyard! I was 62 and the kiddy on the block.

Mine was not because of an accident or trauma at the time, it just snapped. So they assumed bone cancer spread from prostate - negative, Osteoporosis, nope mild Osteopenia at worse.

Turns out it was the result of a Motorcycle accident 40 years earlier, Biopsy of the screw hole samples revealed the inside had that spot had gone necrotic because of the localised trauma.
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 19:38 
 Dynamic hip screw - Robin O'Reliant
>>
>>
>> Family say I have an odd gait but I think I developed that after damaging
>> my knees cycling too highly geared in the early eighties.
>>

That's a myth, Brompt. If using high gearing damaged the knees everyone who rode seriously or raced up until around year 2k would be on crutches now. Cycling places far less strain on the knees than running or walking up stairs, no matter how high your gears. Too high and you just go slower.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Sun 3 Jul 22 at 19:38
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 21:24 
 Dynamic hip screw - Bromptonaut
>> That's a myth, Brompt.

Interesting point, I'm not so sure.

I bought a 5 speed "racing" bike in 1977. Came with a rack and I fitted proper Bluemels mudguards. Chainwheel (steel, cotter pinned) was about 52 teeth. Replaced Huret changer with a Suntour Cyclone and mucked around with the block but probably only managed low twenties for largest cog. Used it as a tourer.

Did the London Brighton in May 1981 and a few other tours. Returning from the second of those i was painfully aware of my left knee (I cannot manage the UK kerbside foot down thing) at every traffic light etc.

By early June I could barely walk.

Lowered the gearing and went to 10 speeds in 82 but even then I had issues. Returning from a now closed Youth Hostel near Faringdon (Oxon) c April 83 with a lass who I still regret not dating I was in agony from Beaconsfield back to Harrow.

I still think pushing too hard on 50"+ gears knackered my cartilages.
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 21:44 
 Dynamic hip screw - Robin O'Reliant
Possibly you had a weakness there already that just developed?

I know when I started racing the almost universal gear range was using a 52/42 chainset and a 14/21t block. With only five at the back any variation meant either too big a gap between ratios if you fitted a 23t sprocket or having to sacrifice your highest gear. Even on the high mountains the professionals only ever went as low as a 22 or 23t.

Even when six and seven speed blocks came in the extra sprockets were used to fill the gaps rather than expand the range. Most of us from that era are still riding or walking about without problems.
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 22:42 
 Dynamic hip screw - Bobby
Remember Billy Connolly saying he was first pushed to get a diagnosis for Parkinson’s by a random stranger who stopped him in a hotel lobby and told him he had a specific gait and to go and get checked out and sure enough, Parkinson’s was diagnosed.
My own uncle who died last year also had Parkinson’s and he too had a very specific gait in his case it was long strides that the foot kind of arc-ed out just before it was planted on ground.

I apparently have a strange gait. Don’t know what it is. But in the last six months or so, 3 separate friends have all casually remarked that they knew it was me walking up the street cos they recognised my gait. Got me paranoid!
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New Sun 3 Jul 22 22:51 
 Dynamic hip screw - MD
That’s creepy. I just read that Billy Connolly story ten minutes ago.
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New Mon 4 Jul 22 10:27 
 Dynamic hip screw - John Boy
My partner, who is now in a care home, has Parkinson's. I'm convinced she would have been diagnosed earlier if the local surgery had been large enough for the doctor to see her walking. I was secretary of the local group for 4 years and my observation of the Parkinson's gait was that a shuffle is the most common feature.
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New Mon 4 Jul 22 10:50 
 Dynamic hip screw - Bromptonaut
>> Even when six and seven speed blocks came in the extra sprockets were used to
>> fill the gaps rather than expand the range. Most of us from that era are
>> still riding or walking about without problems.

It was something I experienced 40+ years ago in the early eighties when I started doing long distance touring rides. Was off the bike for weeks and getting up from seated and starting to walk. Once moving it eased.

Mostly stopped after I regeared the bike and went altogether when I got a Galaxy with proper touring gears.

The limp just became a habit....
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