Motorcycle Riding after Hip Replacement

[waveydavey]

Wow, this thread literally changed my life. I was scheduled to have a hip replacement this year after developing sever asvascular necrosis following a motorcycle accident in Septemeber, 2010. I thought I would not be able to safely ride a two wheeled motorcycle for some time (year?) after that so I ordered a brand new three wheeled motorcycle. I found this thread about 2 weeks before my scheduled surgery (July 14) and after a little more research i cancelled the trike. Surgery went fine, after 3 weeks of good rehab I went for my first ride and now 7 weeks after surgeryIi feel better than I did when I first recovered from the accident. I am riding every day and I will return to work (light duties) in about a week or so.

So, if I had not found this thread I would be one of those fat old guys riding a trike. But I am not that. (I am a fat old guy riding two wheels ) Awesome thread!! Thanks!

[Hegs]

Any of you guys in the New Hip Club riding trials?

[Wookazoid]

Not trials but hare scrambles... that is if I can ever stay home long enough to get re-acclimated to my bike (business travel and a lot of it). My surgeon asked me at my eight month follow up a couple of weeks ago if I had been back on my dirt bike riding/racing. He told me to go for it, which is what I wanted to hear!

[OhBoy]

40 days after bilateral hip replacement, wooohooo.
You cant see the smile
Back onto the dirt roads on a great day in NH.

[zuti]

14 years after hip replacement, I took the KTM 450 out on my first 'real' off road experience. Not just trail riding, but serious woods and MX work. First of all the bike was awesome, damn those new suspensions are great compared to the 70s. Secondly, after almost 30 years, it was like riding a bike (no pun intended) and all the old skills came right back. Best of all not a single issue with the hip, and my old knee issue (open knee surgery 31 years ago) feels as strong as ever. It was amazing. I think that weight training has helped alot, better bikes, and a little more common sense (I'm almost 60), played a big part. As we've been saying in this thread, just get back out there! Zuti

[Wookazoid]

Originally Posted by zuti

14 years after hip replacement, I took the KTM 450 out on my first 'real' off road experience. Not just trail riding, but serious woods and MX work.

I did the same thing... took Thursday and Friday off and went up into the Ozarks with a couple of buddies. Spent Thursday afternoon riding some great single-track, then Friday rode 50 miles one-way on mostly erroded ATV and single-track that kicked my butt! Nasty rock ledges, roots, boulders and off-cambers. It's the first time in years that I've had that much mobility and could ride pain free! Don't guess I ever realized that my hips were impeding my ability to move around on my bike. I was even happy when I fell over... got that out of my way so I could focus on having fun. I'm already planning my next ride in a couple of weeks.

Heading up to Grand Rapids, Michigan to work next week, but have Sunday afternoon off and have already got maps and such on riding areas. Won't have a bike, but will drive up and check them out. May have to make a riding trip up there sometime.

Greg

[zuti]

Originally Posted by Wookazoid

Heading up to Grand Rapids, Michigan to work next week, but have Sunday afternoon off and have already got maps and such on riding areas. Won't have a bike, but will drive up and check them out. May have to make a riding trip up there sometime.

Greg

I hear there are some nice riding areas around there, also in the UP, maybe one day we can plan an 'orthopedic old guys' trail ride up there! Glad to hear you're doing well. I took my first couple of falls earlier this year and no probs as well! Take Care - Mike

[dentvet]

Originally Posted by waveydavey

Wow, this thread literally changed my life. I was scheduled to have a hip replacement this year after developing sever asvascular necrosis following a motorcycle accident in Septemeber, 2010. I thought I would not be able to safely ride a two wheeled motorcycle for some time (year?) after that so I ordered a brand new three wheeled motorcycle. I found this thread about 2 weeks before my scheduled surgery (July 14) and after a little more research i cancelled the trike. Surgery went fine, after 3 weeks of good rehab I went for my first ride and now 7 weeks after surgeryIi feel better than I did when I first recovered from the accident. I am riding every day and I will return to work (light duties) in about a week or so.

So, if I had not found this thread I would be one of those fat old guys riding a trike. But I am not that. (I am a fat old guy riding two wheels ) Awesome thread!! Thanks!

Hey glad you are back to riding bikes. Did you attempt anything to treat the AVN before you went to hip replacement?

I'm hoping that some Europeans or Asians might be lurking here as I'm looking into Birmingham mid head resection BMHR which isn't yet performed in the USA. Anybody with AVN of BMHR info?

[Clydascope]

I have two BHR resurfacings, one at 47, the other at 48. About 3 months after each surgey I was riding in the dirt - easy dirt at first. Since then ('08 & '09) I've racked up over 20,000 miles, a little less than half in the dirt. Trips to Baja, Oregon TAT, Death Valley, Las Vegas and lots of local riding with a few slow speed crashes and no issues (other than a new hernia!)

My sister had two total hip replacements prior to me, one of them has been revised because it failed - ceramic components. I'm stoked with the BHR's.

[3Putt]

I didn't read the whole thread since it dates back to 2007 so I don't know how much this has been talked about.

I'm going to jump in here. I'm 51, as soon as my wife can get all the insurance stuff sorted through I'm going to have a direct anterior hip replacement. The direct anterior method requires a special table called a Hana Table and the only hospital in town that has one isn't covered by our insurance. My wife is working on an exemption so I can have the surgery in town. If we can't swing that I'll have to travel.

My doc says going in from the front cuts the recovery time to 5 weeks with no restrictions. He made it sound like I'd be playing golf in no time when compared to the traditional method of going in from the rear.

In 4 weeks we're suppose to leave on our 'big' trip for the year. Some days the hip doesn't hurt so much and I think it's not going to be an issue (I can ride, but I don't walk very well), other days I wish someone would shoot me. On those days it's going to be hard to hold up the bike if she starts to fall over. I need to decide soon if we're going to have to Plan B the trip and take the car.

[Bigger Al]

An update from me:

Last week marked 4 years since my Birmingham resurfacing procedure, and I could not be happier! I'm riding 20,000+ miles a year, hike 150-200 miles per year, and still work in a tire shop. This has truly been a miracle.

Again, I can only say to those who are waiting to not put it off any longer. Having the excruciating pain relieved is worth whatever it takes to get the surgery done.

[3Putt]

Am going to bump this thread with an update. On Thursday I had my left replace using the direct anterior approach. On Friday around noon I was rolled out of the hospital and sent home. Simply amazing. Here's a pic of the new hardware.

[Bigger Al]

Originally Posted by 3Putt

Am going to bump this thread with an update. On Thursday I had my left replace using the direct anterior approach. On Friday around noon I was rolled out of the hospital and sent home. Simply amazing. Here's a pic of the new hardware.

Congratulations!!


How's the pain compared to when you went in? I found that I hurt less the day after the surgery than I did climbing onto the gurney to go into the operating room, and that was with an 11" incision.

[3Putt]

The pain isn't bad at all. My ass and leg is a bit sore from them dislocating my hip for the procedure but all the pain I had before is gone. I had my first PT appointment this morning and all went well. I'll be back riding in no time.

[BEEMERPECKER]

Still here.
Still riding.
Leg is still where it is supposed to be (despite stupid stuff happening).

3 years since:

Originally Posted by BEEMERPECKER

Twelve and a half months since I was run over and the botched hip fixation.
Eleven months since the failed total hip replacement.
Seven months since the hip revision.
Thirteen months since I've been on a bike.

Doc gave me the thumbs up to ride yesterday.....oh shit.....feelin' a little nervous about it now. Maybe I should get some Forcefield or Bohn armored shorts just in case.

I sure don't want anything stupid to happen and have to repeat this past year.