PRP Hip Injections

runnergreg

Hi all, I just joined the site after finding it on the internet several months ago. I am a 65 year old runner who has been running consistently for about 44 years. Not racing all of those years but I have run about 10 races per year for the last 10 years. I have had right hip pain for a long, long time but it has been manageable until last year. It became much worse in 2017 when I was training for a marathon. My orthopedist is a hip specialist who has worked with  runners and other athletes. I have had three cortisone shots since October 2017 and each masked the pain for about 2 to 3 months, but it kept coming back. Xrays show that my right hip is bone on bone. After completing 8 races during 2018, I had to stop running and my orthopedic recommended that I try either PRP (platlet rich plasma) injections or stem cell therapy, instead of going right to a hip replacement. As I read in many of your posts, he told me that he does not recommend running on a replaced hip. He said PRP and stem cell therapy have been successful in getting some runners to be able to run again. After more discussion with him he suggested I try PRP first so I had the three injections during October, 2018. At this time my hip actually hurts more than it did before I had the injections. I go into see my orthopedic next week for a check up and suggested next steps. Question: have any of you tried PRP injections for your hip, before you got it replaced? If so, what was your experience? Was it effective? If so, how long did it take for it to work? Same questions for stem cell therapy. Would love to hear your input! Greg

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    • December 21, 2018 at 11:56 am #14483
      runnergreg
      Participant

      Hi all, I just joined the site after finding it on the internet several months ago. I am a 65 year old runner who has been running consistently for ab
      [See the full post at: PRP Hip Injections]

    • December 21, 2018 at 1:57 pm #14484
      Feellikeafreak
      Participant

      Hi there! I had my right hip replaced August 2017 after trying cortisone shots from an orthopedic doctor and PRP from my ‘regular’ doctor. Neither provided relief. I wish I would have forgone both regimens and went right to the replacement.
      I have run and been active all my life. I was ready to accept a non-running life post surgery but now I run 4 miles three times a week, bike as much as possible, swim occasionally and hike often.
      My hip and the muscles that atrophied (by delaying the replacement and having the shots) are stronger than I thought possible!
      I hope this helps,
      Mary

    • December 21, 2018 at 2:34 pm #14485
      runnergreg
      Participant

      That is great input, thank you!

    • December 21, 2018 at 2:38 pm #14486
      mpstearns
      Participant

      My understanding is PRP is not going to do anything for you if you have osteoarthritis and are bone-on-bone. It might be helpful for some conditions but not the one we have. I have tried everything to avoid surgery. I am having surgery in two weeks. I thought my running would be done after surgery, but I am encouraged by the stories from this group! -Michael

    • December 21, 2018 at 4:18 pm #14487
      runnergreg
      Participant

      Thanks for your input!

    • December 23, 2018 at 1:50 am #14488
      Petemeads
      Participant

      Hi Greg – I never had the injections but when my osteoarthritis was diagnosed I did the research online and found Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) and the similar versions that avoided metal-on-metal. I found a surgeon who was happy to give me a BHR, this was 4 years ago and at age 68 (today!) I am very satisfied with the outcome, running about 150 5K events since with distances up to 20k in training, long days in the hills up to 25 miles and rock-climbing to a decent standard for an old man. I would recommend investigating the possibilites of a resurfacing as the mechanics of the repair are designed to allow athletic pursuits. The downsides are age and bone quality, you might not qualify, and there are few reputable surgeons (check surfacehippy website for names and case histories). My other hip did not withstand the BHR operation (femoral head broke off) so I have a ceramic THR which my surgeon assures me will allow all the activities I want to pursue. So far (18 months) so good, having started jogging before 6 weeks and back to speed within 6 months or so. Limping at the moment though because mixing rock-climbing with running has not worked well – this leg is a little longer since the op (which cannot happen with the BHR) and some of the soft tissue has not got used to this yet it appears…
      Bottom line – modern THR works, especially at our age, but if BHR is available and affordable I think the mechanical benefits are worth having and a revision to THR is easy if necessary. Good luck.

    • December 23, 2018 at 5:36 am #14490
      runnergreg
      Participant

      Thanks for the input Pete, I will check out BHR

    • December 23, 2018 at 5:55 am #14491
      runnergreg
      Participant

      Hi again to the group! In addition to my right hip pain, I am also having pain in my right shin and knee area. This started during 2017 while I was training for a marathon. It went away at certain times this year while I was getting my 8 races in. Now it is back with a vengeance and seemed to even get worse after the PRP injections. Did any of you experience pain down your leg, in addition to your hip, before you had a THR? If so, did your leg pain also go away after you had the THR? Thanks in advance, Greg

      • January 19, 2019 at 12:34 am #14629
        Doug A.
        Participant

        Hey Greg, Over the last 18 months before my THR I had increasing knee pain that sometimes was even worse than the hip pain. I was convinced that the knee pain was a result of misalignment of the leg due to deterioration of the hip and, indeed, I could plainly see that my bad leg had unnatural angles at the hip and the knee, and also was at least 1 cm shorter than the good leg due to loss of cartilage. My surgeon, however, thought my knee pain could have been referred pain from the hip. In October 2018 I had my hip operation and by the time I woke up in the recovery room my knee pain was completely gone and has not returned since. So in my case it seems it was indeed referred pain, much to my surprise and relief.

        I did not try PRP or stem cell treatments. Actually I held back on the THR for a number of years hoping that stem cell treatments would be developed. However, my lit review in early 2018 found no credible evidence that stem cell therapy or PRP injections would be effective for treating advanced stage osteoarthritis, so I went ahead with the surgery. Plenty of clinics were claiming amazing results and presenting their own client satisfaction surveys, but there were no peer-reviewed studies that I could find in support of these treatments. So I decided not to waste my money. However, I have heard from credible sources that PRP treatments may provide some relief to patients with mild OA. Maybe things will improve in the future!

        Good luck!

        Doug

    • December 23, 2018 at 9:45 am #14492
      Hip Brother Tom
      Keymaster

      It is possible that the pain you are feeling is due to the fact that the rest of your leg is working harder to take some of the load off of the hip. I recall having similar pain before my hip replacement. It went away after I recovered.

    • December 23, 2018 at 3:41 pm #14493
      Mama House
      Participant

      Hi Greg, I had PRP and stem cell treatment about 18 months before my THR of the left hip. I to was bone on bone and miserable. I was planning on going straight to the surgery when my husband suffered a stroke. My being surgically laid up wasn’t an option! The osteo that performed the PRP and Stem cell was very upfront with me that the procedure would be a long term band-aid and not a cure. It helped me to carry on until my husband was well enough for me to undergo the THR. I give thanks to God every day for my new hip! My hip replacement was in October 2017. I started with a zero runner, and after 4 months of healing started slow walk/jogs. I am jogging 10-15 miles a week now, took a first place in my age division recently in a 5k, and feel great. Best part is I can walk without an extreme limp, bend over and put on my socks and shoes, and run the stairs! My surgeon was not real happy about my continuing to run, but he finally smiled and said “Just don’t be stupid”! Good luck

    • December 24, 2018 at 6:25 pm #14496
      runnergreg
      Participant

      Thanks for the input from you Mama House and from you Tom. Encouraging to see all the stories here of people being pain free and able to do some type of running after a THR!

    • December 25, 2018 at 4:21 pm #14499
      donnacarpentier
      Participant

      Hi Greg,
      I also had stem cell therapy and PRP before my THR. No, it didn’t work, and was an expensive wishful thinking experience. I was also bone-on-bone, but the doctor i traveled to for the procedure (in Fairfax, Va; I live in Charlotte, NC) made pretty lofty promises. I had already waited 2 years since the diagnosis at 46, and REALLY wanted to be able to continue coaching my distance runners. A year later and in some pretty bad pain, I had the surgery. Getting my muscles back into balance was a year-long journey, but i began running again, raced a 10k a year later and was only a few seconds off my PR. I’ve since had PRP and Stem cell treatments (at my surgeon’s office at Duke) on my hamstring and lower back and it worked REALLY well. I hope all of this feedback will help you to make the best decision for you, and I wish you well!

    • December 25, 2018 at 6:30 pm #14500
      runnergreg
      Participant

      Donna, thank you very much for sharing that information, it is very helpful

    • December 31, 2018 at 6:49 am #14528
      ForceD
      Participant

      I’ve had PRP for a torn meniscus, but didn’t consider it for my hip. My understanding of how PRP works…I wouldn’t think that it would be useful for the osteoarthritis condition in a failing hip that is bone-on-bone. It’s supposed to promote regrowth/repair of tissue, not bone.

      Dan

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