Health-and-Age

I was born with a shallow hip socket in my right side of the hip. My parents tell me that when I was a baby I had to wear braces on my legs for the first year of my life. When I was about 10 I started complaining of hip pain and my mom took me to the pediatrician to get it checked out. We were told then that it could be growing pains, but definitely not due to my shallow hip socket, that that would never be an issue again and it was in my head. I was an overweight child so they placed the blame on me being overweight and if I lost weight that would make it better. Throughout my life I have felt that pain when I sat and curled my legs to my right. When I would go to get up from this position I could barely put any weight on my leg and it was really painful until I would have to force my leg around straight and the pain would release. I never went back to the dr's for this because I was overweight and didn't want to hear the same answer I heard as a kid. I'm now thirty years old and have lost 120 pounds. I weigh 150 lbs and have more energy than ever. However my hip issue did not get any better. If anything it has gotten worse. My hip feels like it slides out any time I cross my legs or even squat down to help my two year old get dressed. And when I get back up from these positions it's very painful and embarassing. My leg is turned in and I can hardly put any weight on it again, until I force it back in place by walking/hobbling through it. Does anyone else have this issue? Has anyone heard of it before? Should I get a hip replacement? That sounds like a lot of pain...This only happens to me about 3 times a day, the rest of the time I'm ok. I just am scared that I'm too young for a hip replacement and it would limit my activeness which would lead to weight gain. I've come so far, I don't want that to happen again. Any advice is appreciated.

I forgot to mention that my hips was so bad as an infant that it supposedly popped right out like a chicken wing.
I love my parents, but it makes me wonder if they should have taken me to a different dr or a surgeon for follow up throughout my life.

Hi ...My Name is Wendy and i am 42 years old and live in the Uk...I too was born with a shallow hip socket on the right side. I was only diagnosed with this condition 2 years ago ...was previously mis diagnosed with sicatica for the past 16 years...my Nan when i was younger said it was growing pain she was still tellling me this when i was 21 years old lol....i had always been very active and walked up to 4 miles everyday ....walk to and from work...this was about 8 years ago....anyway i was refered to a Orthopaedic Hospital and they took an mri scan and said i was diagnosed with a shallow hip socket...they said at some point i would need a hip replacement. 2 years on i will be having my hip replaced in August this year..i now have no cartilige in the right hip so its bone on bone ...i find it hard to put on my socks, walk up stairs. I get pain in my thigh and groin area...i still work full time and find that moving about takes my mind off of the pain...i only take pain killers when i have had a really bad day...walking is slower but hey i can walk albeit with a slight limp ...i dont use a cane to walk...i work in central London and travelling home standing on the train makes my hip pain worse because of the constant rocking motion...when i sit for any long periods my hip makes a clicking sound... almost like a branch being broken and that hurts me....when i was diagosed with the condition at age 41 they said i was still too young for a replacement ...i had a intra articular injection of steroid into the hip and i was pain free for 4 months....heaven !! they would not give any more of these pain relief injections because as the needle penetrated the capsule into the hip there is a chance of infection...as i said i am now 43 and whilst they say " too young" i need this operation my quality of life is not good .....we think that hip operations only occur in people who are in their 60's / 70's...well we know that younger people are having them. I say if your pain is worsening ask to see an orthopaedic surgeon i dont know if you are in the Uk but i went to a great Hospital and they are fantastic....why should you battle on with pain if you need this op i certainly am not going to waste anymore of my life with this agony ....i wish you all the best xx

Hi there, I was diagnosed with shallow sockets in both hips when I was 30yo, I'm now edging on 43. My mum (now 83) has had five replacements and each of my kiddes (6 and 8) have also been xrayed with the same condition confirmed. I have had two arthroscopies in the right hip, each giving strong relief for around a year to eighteen months, but I'm advised that there is insufficient bone left now to do another - crunch time is nearing for a full replacement. Having said that, I have a great ortho surgeon (his words - there are great drugs out there, let's use them) who also encouraged me to see a rhuematologist. Through them, I have also seen a podiatrist who has developed orthotics to support my gait better given I greatly enjoy walking each day. In a nutshell, I take a long-release anti-inflamm each morning and night, plus fast-release three times during the day. I begin each day with a walk to 'work the hip in' - you can actually feel it slowly sliding better into place.

Like you, I've been told that I will need a replacement for both hips - one suggested he couldn't believe I was still walking and urged me to book in within the next few weeks for the full replacement of the right hip. But I'm persevering to buy time and that was over eighteen months ago now. Once the initial replacement is done, there are ever-decreasing cycles of length that I can expect to gain from each subsequent replacement.

If it's any consolation, whilst pregnant, I naturally put on weight and couldn't take any medication. But even back down to around 49kg now, I still find I experience much the same pain. I've been told that I should endeavour to continue my walking as much as possible to maintain muscle strength and keep my weight low to minimise pressure on the hip, but my pain experience at two quite different weights (pregnant and not) has been little different.

In a nutshell, I ascribe to my current ortho's advice - seek the best medication and physical supports (eg othotics) possible for your condition in order to buy time. Who knows what science may come up with in the meantime!!

Take care

Heather

I'm now 41 and have recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my left hip and shallow hip joint. I'm frustrated as I'm told I'm also too young for a hip replacement and I'm also overweight which is a concern. I've been experiencing symptoms for about 10 years now but didn't realize that's what was causing my pains. I went to a chiropractor for years and have stopped in the past year as I wasn't feeling better. I decided to dig further and find out what was really going on. In the past year or so, my symptoms have increased. It's a catch 22, I'm told to lose weight but almost any activity, especially walking, hurts! I can't even go shopping at Walmart and I'm in pain by the end of the trip. I still have to live life and work (luckily an office job). It's starting to affect my life though. I'd love to take the kids to the zoo or do other physical activities with them, but I know I couldn't make it without being in pain. I had a cortisone injection which didn't work, just made me feel less stiff after sitting. Now, I'm looking into other remedies, such as herbal and suplemental remedies.

P.S. Like Heather, I'm frustrated in this day and age of medical technology that our only option at our age is to "seek the best medication and physical supports possible for your condition in order to buy time."

I am a female, 61 as of the 23rd of this month. I was born with shallow hip sockets. When I was in my late 30's a surgeon who was doing all the hip replacements in my town, told me I would have to have replacements soon. I had no insurance or money so had to put it on a shelf. A few years later, in pain again while working on a construction job that was on a hillside, now with insurance, I sought an orthopedic surgeon. He looked at the xrays and told me that I may never need surgery. That with the right exercise, I could live my life out with shallow hip sockets. He was aghast that I had been told otherwise. He treated me for bursitus and encouraged me to exercise correctly but no exercises?
Anyway, three years ago the pain all came back again and was diagnoses as sciatica. I was treated by a PT who told me to quit gardening unless I raised the beds and that I am hypermobile. I was some better, but got worse again and started having muscle contractions. I now have a diagnoses of ostopenia in the hips and low back, myofascial pain syndrome (mps) which was all over my body but is not mostly confined to my legs, and sciatic pain from my hips and low back that goes down the sides of my legs but emanates from trigger points due to the myofascial pain syndrome which is chronic.
I am going to try Pilates. I know of other with hypermoblility who have been very successful in avoiding surgery and in controlling mps.
I don't know if this helps anyone. Doctors are still saying that I may never need hip replacement if I live my life correctly. My hip sometimes seemingly slips out of the socket if I'm not careful. I love to hike and ride a bike but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do so anymore. Can't use equipment due to the mps, so stretching for me is the key.

My child has just been diagnosed with a Shallow hip and the doctor said she might need to be braced for a few months so that she will not have problems with her hip when she is older. She is only 4 months old now. The doctor wanted another opinion as he hasn't seen this before and when we heard back that doctor said that she would wait and do another ultrasound in 6 months, but that it was probably fine and wouldn't need to be braced. I am feeling frustrated and concerned as i feel that if doing something now would help the outcome as an adult then i want to go ahead and do it as quickly as possible as she is going to be learning to crawl soon, i also heard that if we dont brace them before she is 6 months she will need to be in a cast instead. I dont know what to do????

Hi, Im a 38 year old who had surgery on left hip as a child when I was diagnosed with congenital hip dislocation. Surgery went great and i have had many years pain free(almost...though I could always forecast snow as I would feel pain!) In last few years pain has become more regular and in the last year I have been basically limping my way around!! Putting my sock on my left foot is a bit of a challenge, but I have figured out a sneaky way!!! I was referred to a rheumatologist who treated me for bursitis. My GP sent me for an x ray which showed clear. Still in pain, he then referred me for an MRI which showed a different story. There are definate signs of degeneration,swelling,fluid etc. I have been to see an orthopaedic surgeon as a result. Good news is that he reckons the surgery i had almost 35 years ago was a fantastic job!!! But he has said I do need a hip replacement in the near future, but wants to try the fluerosope route first. This is basically the steroid injection I am reading about, and he reckons it may/may not help. If that dosent help, he may recommend a filing of the joint, if the hip damage is suitable. If both these options fail, then surgery is imminent. What I would like to know is if people who have had injection reckon its worth having, or should I just push for the operation as soon as possible rather than wasting time?Surgery just seems like such a big thing really, and I am unsure as to whether I should just go for it or not. To Ashleigh, you really need to keep pressure on the doctors in relation to this. Thank God, my parents had the foresight like you seem to have, its not something to be brushed aside, I would be demanding to see a paediatric/orthopaedic surgeon as soon as possible. My surgery didnt happen til I was about 2 and a half, but it was definatley worth it. I got a good 30ish years with not too much pain and was able to do gymnastics/irish dancing etc with no problems when I was growing up and these are the things you dont want her to miss out on.

Hi, there is an alternative to hip replacement. I have shallow sockets on both sides and am only 21, I have had this since birth but was only diagnosed at 18. In may I went for an operation which required dislocating my hip, carving away at my socket to make it deeper, stretching my cartaliage then putting my hip back. This is a big procedure and I am still recovering but due to have the other done in 4 weeks. It leaves a big scar and is supposed to last 10-15 years until a hip replacement will be necessary, but it is a good solution and delay to such a drastic procedure.
Hope this was of help.

Hi, Im 43 and first noticed hip pain during my pregnancy when I was 19. In my mid 30s I mentioned it to my GP who sent me for an x-ray. Although my pain is predominantly in my left hip the x-ray said the right socket was shallower.
I was born one foot first but I my GP reckoned this had nothing to do with my shallow sockets. He made an appointment for me with a physiotherapist to build up the muscles around my hip and offered no other help. Six months later the physiotherapist wrote me off as she could not offer any remedy apart from an exercises plan. No over the counter pain killers ease the pain either when its at its worst.
Now in my 40s and the pain is worsening, both hips make a lovely clunking sound and I waddle like a duck when in pain. The pain is not constant unless I am on my feet for any length of time or walking - shopping being the worst when constant changing of direction.
Occasionally if I lie on my side I get a gripping tooth ache like pain in my left hip but I am ever so grateful it arrives in waves as It would drive me insane if it was constant.
After reading others posts here has given me the confidence to return to my GP again on the matter. Here we dont get to see any other medical professional unless your GP arranges it :(

Libby,

I had a similar experience with a physio...but he gave up on me in the first consultation! His words were:

"I really can't do anything for you. You need to seen an orthopod. You need to see a good one. And you need to see him now."

Don't let anybody run you around. Get to a good specialist and get sorted out. If you need to get onto a waiting list for surgery get on ASAP. There's light at the end of the tunnel.

I should add that I'm 47 and have lived with this since I was 13. It has got vastly worse in the last two years.

I'm now awaiting a THR. The surgeon says it should last for 30 or 40 years. Good enough for me.

Don't let anybody fob you off with the 'you're too young' BS. If your quality of life is going down the crapper insist that you see a specialist. As they said about Steve Austin: 'We have the technology...'

Thanks Geoff, hope all goes well with your new replacement.
Ive now dusted the cobwebs off my exercise bike as winter draws in and am trying to incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into my diet.

Wow I was in the same boat, did not know so many other people have been thought this. I had my hip replaced at 41 after seeing many surgeons who said I was too young one was willing to do it thank god! My problem now is the bone has regenerated and is growing over the prosthesis and in severe pain. I have had surgery to remove as much growth as possible but it is wrapped in the muscle and around the socket :( I am now 53 and feel like I am 80!if I have the other hip done they will use radiation to kill the bone growth :( Today I applied for disability .

HI! I was born without the right hip socket also. It was diagnosed at 3 months of age and I was in a brace until I was 2 years of age. I never had problems walking or running as a child. My first pregnancy was in 2003 and I was 24 years of age. Thats when the problems began. I have since had two more children and I have hip pain off and on that is quite severe at times. My doctor told me it was most likely from my birth defect and the pregnancies put a big strain on my hips and that a possible hip replacement may be in my future so definitely get a second opinion Bobbie. I am 31 years of age now. My parents were told I would never walk normal let alone run and I'm sure a lot of parents were told that about their babies as well. Doctors don't know everything. Keep that in mind when you are being told nonsense about it being all in your head or because of your weight.

Hi. I also was born with shallow hip sockets. I wore a brace and a cast for my early months as a child. I am currently 45 and have been active all my life. I have had 4 children and never have I had pain even during pregnancies. To be honest, not sure which hip was shallow. So according to these previous posts, looks like there are different severities. To Ashleigh, if it were my child I would get a second opinion and do it if they say your child has it. I don't remember any of it because I had it for the first 6 mos. of my life. I have always been athletic and continue to run and walk for excercise. Hopefully I won't have problems with my hips as I age but so far so good!

I am recovering from a hip arthroscopy that I had 2 days ago. Although a labral (hip socket cartilage is the labrum) tear has been repaired and labral cysts removed, the shallowness of my socket remains and inevitably I will need a replacement in the (hopefully distant) future.

I am 41, had clicky hips as a child but nothing was done. My hip has always been a bit ropey and would clunk and collapse on me and become very stiff on sitting but pain was never really an issue until the last 5 years or so. This arthroscopy should have dealt with this recent pain.

My suggestions for management are: keep weight down, exercise regularly, press your GP for a referral to a specialist and have Physio from a GOOD Physio or sports therapist regularly.