squeaky birmingham hip resurfacing

[GARY B]

I WAS SEARCHG FOR SQUEAKY HIPS & FOUND THIS SITE. I HAD 2 RECENT BIRMINGHAM HIPS INSTALLED RECENTLY,
LEFT-OCT.5'06 & RIGHT NOV.6,06. FIRST OF ALL, DON'T DO THE 2 HIPS SO CLOSE TOGETHER. YOU NEED AT LEAST 3 MONTHS BETWEEN THEM. MY NEW HIPS WERE SCHEDULED & APPROVED BY MY INSURANCE, SO I WENT AHEAD WITH IT.
ON DEC.23'06, MY LEFT HIP STARTED CREAKG (DEEPER SOUND THAN A SQUEAK TO ME) WHEN I WALKG THE DOGS THAT NIGHT. NO PAIN, JUST SOME NOISE.
I DID HAVE A 5 HOUR WATER SOFTENER INSTALL EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON, SO I COULD HAVE BEEN WORN-OUT, DEHYDRATED ETC. NO NEW NOISES SINCE THEN. ALSO, NO RETURN CALL FROM THE SURGEON'S OFFICE EITHER, AIN'T THAT INTERESTG???
APPARENTLY, HIP NOISES HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS WITH OTHER TYPES OF HIPS & IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECT OF HIP REPLACEMENT.
ANYBODY OUT THERE WITH THESE NEW BIRMINGHAM'S NOTICING ANY NOISES OR ANYTHING ELSE INTERESTG? HAS ANYONE TRIED TAKING THE GLUCOSAMINE PILLS AGAIN AFTER NEW HIPS/ WOULD IT HELP LUBRICATE THE METAL TO METAL HIPS? I GUESS WD40 SPRAY LUBRICANT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION-HA,HA.
OH WELL, I'M DOING MUCH BETTER WITH THESE NEW HIPS THAN WITH THE OLD ONES & HOPE TO START PLAYG RECREATIONAL SOCCER/FUTBOL AGAIN BY SEPT'07 (WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES). HOPE THESE COMMENTS HELPS SOMEONE.
THANKS, GARY TAMPA,FLORIDA USA.JAN.17,2007.

[GerryD]

I recieved a Birmingham Hip last April and it started squeaking/rubbing after 3 months but only after vigourous excercise. Since that first bout of squeaking, it has occurred on a more frequent basis in response to less vigouros activities. In the past 3 months I have been seeing a physio that is working on strenghtening some of my muscles in my butt that are in her words "still pathetic", and she is hopeful that it may solve the issue. Since being on her intensive excercise reginme, I have noticed an improvement in the amount of activity I can undertake before it starts squeaking so I am somewhat hopeful. She believes that it may take a year or more to resolve the issue if ever? My surgeon has not provided any insite into the cause and affect.

[Ric]

I had a bi-lat hip replacement last year (the first week in January). The left side needed revision because the angle of the left socket was not perfect and the top edge was taking too much pressure. I'm a triathlete and put an unusually high load on these hips.

A week after the revision, which went very well, the right hip atarted to squeak - a lot. With every step a loud ssqqeeaakk. It scared me to death, although it was really funny. My surgeon said it has happened to other cases of his when the left and right sides ared done at different times becasue of an imbalance in the blood chemistry due to the surgical proceedure.

I started excercising and PT yesterday and the sqheaking seems to be mcuh better, although, sometimes I'll bend over and sure enough - Sqquueeaakk!The Dr says it will resolve be itself in a few days.

Its a lot of fun at parties, but I hope he's right and it goes away.

[Vince]

About 10 1/2 months after my Birmingham hip replacement, I went for a +-45 minute run during a vacation on a mostly concrete and /or asphalt road. The next day we hiked around a small town and that night my hip started to squeak walking up stairs. I email the doctor and he told me I probably strained it from overuse. I went to the pharmacy the next day and bought some GLUCOSAMINE and took a few alieve's. It did not hurt, but it felt swollen which may have been from the heat. The following day it was fine and I have not had an issue since. The hip is now 13 months old. I came home from the trip and bought some good runing shoes and will limit my running to the beach or other soft surfaces!

[Joe H]

Gary,

I had the Birmingham resurfacing on my right hip in March 2008. After the recovery and rehab, I returned to my old activities with vigor. All was well until about eight months after surgery, and then I began to notice a faint scraping noise and feeling up my spine. The more I used the hip, the louder the noise became and eventually turned into squeaking and creaking. Everyone around me can hear it. When walking the squeaking is constant and the creaks sound like an old rusty door hinge when I bend and stoop. I made a recording and played it for my surgeon. He was non-committal but said he had heard of the problem in some patients. The manufacturer says it will go away in time, but mine is still squeaking and creaking 13 months after surgery. The more active I am, the louder and longer the squeaking and creaking intervals. I would like to hear from others who have this problem. Write me at [e-mail].

[GerryD]

Joe, I have had the squeeky hip syndrome with the Birmingham hip resplacement for three years now and while it started off with a bang it has been mostly resolved. The squeeks occured initially after vigorous exercise but after much physio and strengthing of the muscles in and around my hip, it has now improved to only a slight friction feeling but once again, only after strenuous exercise. I would recommend seeing a top notch Physio that can provide the correct exercises to strengthen and then it is just a matter of time.

[Godfrey Pace]

I did my left hip resurfacing operation last August 2008. I was two months before my 80th birthday !! The surgeon said my bones were still very strong. Now May 2009, I sm feeling a cracking with every step I make and after walking for about five to ten minutes, it tires my leg and I have to stop.No pain of course but no strength !!Rather disappointed as I am a very active person.Write me at; [e-mail]

[Nicky]

Had I my left hip replaced last Feb (08) some 16mths ago, two days ago I noticed a squeaking noise coming from my hip, it's quite loud, no pain, slight vibration. I have been going the gym before and after having it done but went for a 20 minute run for the first time four days ago. What should I do? Does it go away? Has anyone any advice please?

[Hunter]

I am 21 years old and had the Birmingham Hip replacement 10/20/08. I have been doing all the PT that was required and still do some of the strengthening today. Well 2 days ago I took out the bike to try it out and it was wonderful, no problems. This morning when getting ready for the day I bent down and heard this squeak/grind noise and felt it coming from my new hip. It didn't hurt at all, so I rode my bike anyway. When I came back home i lifted up my bike and went up the steps, and sure enough each step I took had a squeak/grind noise. After reading all these posts I feel that I over used it but I am still scared and called my surgeon today and am having an appointment later today.

[Hunter]

Turns out the metal on metal is not supposed to squeak. My doctor took an x-ray and everything is fine. Since I am having no pain I shouldn't worry about it. He thinks that it maybe has something to do with it just wearing in, since it only squeaks when I put all my weight on it. I have a check up in a month.

[godfrey Pace]

I had an X-ray last week and my prosthesis are in place and all looks correct but I still get this grinding, crackling feeling when I walk. I have also started to do more physio exercises. This has improved the strength of my leg but not the above crackling with ever step. Still I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that finally it will stop. I noticed that if, when I put my foot forward to make the step, I twist my foot slightly inwards, the noise is less or no more ! As this is a precision operation, I wonder whether this crackling is caused because it was not placed exactly in the correct place? No surgeon will admit that, of course.Well, at least there is no pain.

[Joe H]

There is an earlier post here from me about the same squeaking, grinding and popping others have felt. I asked my surgeon to prescribe physical therapy and he agreed to order PT at 3 times per week for four weeks. I am now in my last week and I can surely say that things are much improved. The squeaking and grinding are totally gone and the popping is almost gone. I really push myself doing the PT exercises and exceed the therapist recommendations by doing substantially more repetitions that they require. I was having great difficulty walking more than a ½ mile without the hip getting very tired. That too is much improved. If anyone is interested I can write up the exercises so you can do them at home. There is nothing special and you only need a couple of tools to do them without supervision and assistance.

[Hunter]

Good News. 2 days ago my squeaking stopped. I've tried to make it squeak again and can't. My only conclusion is that bike riding may have compressed the joint together making it squeak. Since I continued to keep biking it must of just wore in and stopped.

[Godfrey Pace]

For the last few weeks, I have been suffering from a severe unknown allergy. My throat suddenly swells and I am choking.It's so scarey ! I have to breathe throught my nose. The doctor says I have acute allegy & Rhinitis, but as I never suffered from any allegies in my entire life, could this be related to the 'Corin' cobalt Chrome alloy, Hip resurfacing which I did last August 2008 ? Has anyone experienced this please ? Thanks.

[Godfrey Pace]

To update my Jun 27,2009. After several tests it resulted that the throat spasms were due to stomach acid reflux and nothing to do with allergy from the hip cobalt implants. Unfortunately, I still have grinding cracking noises with every step I do, but no pain.

[Nicky again]

My squeaky hip (previously posted 1 Jun 2009) stopped completely after a couple of days, although I had been going to the gym four times a week and doing high impact exercise,the running obviously caused it to squeak (I hadn't run previously for years). However more recently due to other commitments I have postponed my gym membership and the only exercise I get is walking my dog once a day - my hip is starting to hurt again. Any advise?

[Jess]

I am 24 and had bilateral resurfacings in jan 2009.I'm now 7 months post surgery and I just had the sqeaking start today on a hike and was really worried something was wrong-it was so loud that people around me could hear it! After strenuous exercise I have had a grinding feeling in both hips but my surgeon says the x rays are fine and there is nothing to be worried about. Does anyone know the cause? Do the glucosamine tablets help at all? I will definately go back to physio but i'm not so sure i want to sound like a tin man everwhere i go. haha, any advice will be appreciated

[Godfrey Pace]

Hi Jeff
I have come to the conclusion that no body really knows why the metal to metal resurfacing does this grinding noise. Some people reported that it will eventually die out. My surgeon did prescribe Glucosomine. I tried them for two months with no difference at all.This is what a DR De Smet reckons:-Dr. De Smet
Also called peeping, called by Dr.De Smet the "peepcreep". The squeaking noises are produced due to a temporary lack of lubrication, a dry running of the metal-on-metal prosthesis. It sounds as a non-lubricated creaking hinge of a door. The duration of the noise is normally less then 24 hours, and a one-time incidence.
It starts when the patient has an increase or change in activities. Stair climbing always generates or increases the noise. Possible provoking activities: mountain climbing, mountain walking, chopping wood. It does not occur any more 2 years after surgery. Two year is the time interval that equals the running in period of a metal-on-metal friction couple. Running in means that the prosthesis is polishing itself. Immediately after surgery, the lubricant (lubrication film) between the 2 components of the prosthesis is blood. This will change to serum with our own proteins after a while. The percentage of patients where squeaking noises appear is about 1.5%.
It is a benign incident that goes away spontaneously and do not need any panic. Let it know to your surgeon for statistical reasons!

[Jess]

Hi Godfrey,
thanks so much for all that info. Much appreciated!! I'm still in the early phase so every squeak and change makes me worried but now that i know its just part of the process, I feel much better about it. I will definately let my surgeon know about it. thanks again
Jess

[Paul]

I had my birmingham hip done in September 07 and it has been brilliant, except yesterday after an hours walk with the dog it started squeeking. This was very wierd, I had no pain or discomfort and only squeeked when I was walking or climbing stairs etc. I couldn't make it happen under no load. being an engineer it sounded like lack off or poor quality lubrication, and after reading all of your posts above I feel much less worried and although will report it to the surgeon at my check up in September I will put it down to a 'normal' occurence and something to amuse the guys at work with.