Question
hi. if you could help. my mother inlaw had total hip replacement almost 3 months ago. still has alot of pain some in her hip but mostly in her knee. befor the op it was in her knee the pain was. she said herself it was wrong from the beginning but her physo got her to go to doctor again and he thinks the muscle is wasting in  her leg. I don't think shes doing enough excerise's but since i have no letters after my name, she doesn't agree with me, have you any ideas??

Answer
Mairead

The problem may be your mom's hip after all.  I am assuming that prior to the surgery the doctor took the pre-op tests that showed there was a reason to give her a hip replacement rather than a knee replacement.

If the hip is only three months old, it is possible your mom's pain is coming from the hip and radiating to the knee.  She may not be walking correctly and this can cause knee problems.  Make sure the doctor has measured her legs and they are the same length.  If there is a difference in the leg length, that can be causing the knee pain.  

If your mother is getting physical therapy, see if the physical therapist can advise you in regard to the amount of exercise your mom is getting.  If she is older, recovery time can be longer depending on what her physical shape was prior to the surgery.

Best of luck to her.

Sharon Davis