Pain after surgery
If pain of the hip prosthesis occurs relatively early after surgery, causes such as wear and tear and permanent overloading are eliminated, as these only become noticeable after a certain time. If the hip prosthesis causes pain after surgery, an infection of the prosthesis must be considered first. These are rather rare, but more complicated to treat than an infection elsewhere because of the difficult access.
Sterile working minimizes the risk of infections – the frequency at the hip is stated to be about 1% – but they can never be completely avoided. In addition, after surgery, a hip prosthesis may cause pain as part of an allergic reaction. Directly after the operation the body comes into contact with the prosthetic foreign material.
In most cases, allergic reactions are not observed against the plastic parts of the hip prosthesis, but against metallic components consisting of chrome, nickel or cobalt. Other reasons why a hip prosthesis causes pain immediately after surgery may be bony reactions to the foreign material. This can lead to both excessive bone formation around the hip prosthesis and bone loss.
Both can lead to hip prosthesis loosening and pain. In principle, an operation independent of the procedure represents a massive injury to muscles, connective tissue and bone, so that pain after the use of a hip prosthesis is the rule directly after the operation. However, as long as no further complications occur, these can be controlled well with painkillers.
Character of the pain
It is important to distinguish whether the pain after a hip prosthesis develops gradually over weeks and months or whether it occurs abruptly. In the case of slow hip prosthesis loosening, e.g. due to wear and tear, pain initially occurs only when the joint is subjected to heavy stress. Infections can quickly cause pain at the hip prosthesis, then further symptoms such as redness and swelling appear.
Acute traumas naturally hurt immediately after the event. Depending on the cause, the pain can be sharp, throbbing or dull, sometimes even electrifying.If a hip prosthesis causes pain, this does not only occur on the affected hip, but often radiates into certain areas such as the thigh. In most cases, pain caused by a hip prosthesis spreads along the thigh on the same side.
This pain is usually observed on the outside and front of the thigh. In some cases, a hip prosthesis loosening is first perceived as a dull pain in the thigh before pain occurs in the hip itself. The thigh is particularly affected when walking or standing for a long time. In many cases where a hip prosthesis causes pain, the pain also radiates beyond the thigh into the knee joint, which should therefore always be examined in patients with a hip prosthesis for complaints such as pain. In case of pain in the thigh, one should therefore consider that a hip prosthesis can also be responsible for the pain.
