Hi Rob,
I had the BHR 7 years ago because my research led me to believe that THR was not suitable for an active life whereas BHR addressed the issues of bone-loading in a natural way by just replacing the “big end” bearings. The operation is more complicated than a THR and my surgeon used a lateral incision “Hardinge method” which left a long scar down my thigh but saves the glutes from being parted. You need good quality bone to take the implant, when the right hip was attempted two years later the ball fell off my femur as the metal cap was being tapped in place, hence the THR. I was disappointed to get second-best but quickly realised that if the bone was that weak it could have failed anywhere, miles from anywhere, at any time. Also, he assured me that I would not be able to break my ceramic device and so far he has been proved correct…
With the first hip, I had got to 177 parkruns with arthritis and about 80 more with one hip, so the BHR has done about 220 and the THR 140. I had to be gentle with the BHR so did not jog 5k till about 9 weeks after, the THR did not get mollycoddled and I had jogged 5k before my 6 week checkup.
Regarding distance, I have run marathons and ultras in the past but in deference to the metalwork resisted longer distance running until a year with the BHR, doing a 2 hour half-marathon distance as a systems check before my 12 month appraisal. The THR leg has given me some limpiness from time to time and this eventually let to full-blown sciatica this June, the whole problem being spinal not leg related, but last spring I was running up to 30k and (virtually) racing all the shorter distances to meet county standards Gold level for a 70 something. During the 4.5 years I have had 2 fake hips I have done the Yorkshire 3 peaks and the Welsh 15 peaks/3000 footers, longest single walk was the Derwent Watershed at 42 miles. Best 5k this year was 23:27 but I am a couple of minutes off that at the moment, still regaining the fitness lost to sciatica.
One other thing – my brother’s wife had an Exeter implant, cemented stem, and was told not to run. I think that is probably correct, the cement is supposed provide a cushioning effect and allows the stem to float a little. Let’s hope that is not what you have got.
Cheers,
Pete