Question
I am a 25 yr old female that just had a total hip replacement about 6 months ago. The surgery went well however it was more dificult due to past hip surgeries from having a sevier slipped epiphasis. I have recovered quite well, however just lately I have developed a catching in my knee on the same leg that I had my hip replacement. The "catching" is quite painful and it catches almost every step I take. I wouldn't relate these however my father had a hip replacement 1 month before me and his knee has started to do the same thing. I am wondering if this is a common occurance with hip replacements?

Answer
Dear Rebecca

I also had knee problems following a hip surgery.  This can come from many sources.  Sometimes if a surgery is difficult, there can be some nerve damage in the knee which can cause tingling and some pain.  If this does not get any better in 18 months following surgery, it probably will always give you problems. (I'm not saying this is what you have, it's a possibility though).  The second thing migh be that you are still not walking correctly and due to the fact that you are not walking normally yet, the knee can hurt.

Ask your doctor to check your leg length.  If there is a large discrepancy between the leg lengths (over 1/2 inch), you may need to put a lift in your shoe to even out the lengths of the legs.  You might also need some more physical therapy to determine if your gait is correct.

I wish you the best of luck!

Sharon Davis