“I am suffering from severe numbness in my foot after a hip replacement surgery. Is it normal?”
I had a fall due and broke my hip bone. I underwent a hip replacement surgery and after 1 month of the surgery I am finding numbness in my foot. Is this normal, or should I be concerned?
17 Answers
No, it's not normal, they might have damaged your sciatic nerve.
Not normal. Should be concerned.
It is not necessarily abnormal to have numbness in your foot after hip replacement surgery. Depending on how the surgywas done it can be from 2 to 15% of patients that experience numbness. It usually resolves with time but you need to tell your surgeon about this.
That is of concern but hopefully will gradually clear. Tell your surgeon about it now so that it is well documented.
The nerve to your foot could have been injured during the fall or could have been injured during surgery. Your surgeon could help you with determining this. Then you can get a better idea when it may recover.
You should consult with your surgeon to rule out or assess nerve injury that may be reversible.
Numbness in the foot after total hip arthroplasty could be secondary to either stretching or compression of the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the large nerve that controls motor and sensory function in her lower extremity. the nerve crosses very close to the hip joint and it is not unheard of for there to be some compromise of the nerve during the surgery. You should discussed the symptoms with your physician and have him check the neurologic status of the lower extremity.
This is not normal. Numbness is a nerve symptom and the fact that it is happening 1 month after surgery suggests it is not directly related to the surgery. I recommend that a nerve conduction study be arranged looking for an area compressing the nerve. That should give a diagnosis and guide further treatment.
No, if you have no weakness or paralysis. The numbness will probably gradually decrease.
Numbness is generally due to pinching of nerves either locally or pinching at a higher level. You should consult your orthopedist to check that there is no lumbar disc issue or stretching of sciatic nerve.
This can occur after surgery, but you should check with your doctor to see if this is a back problem or related to a nerve issue.
Numbness in the foot after hip surgery is not uncommon. If you have good strength and motion in the ankle and foot, this should resolve with time. It may take six months. Symptoms should not, however, worsen with time. You should ask your surgeon if you have concerns.
It is not normal, but can be a side effect of the surgery. I would notify your surgeon so he can evaluate the strength in that leg and establish the cause for the unilateral numbness.
One of the complications after total hip replacement is sciatic nerve injury. Most are transient (will recover over time). An EMG nerve test can be performed 4 to 6 weeks after surgery to better see what is going on and the prognosis.
It is not normal. There may be stretching or damage to the sciatic nerve. Talk to your surgeon about it.
Can you tell me what part of the foot is numb? Like either the top or the sole? Nerve injuries are rare after joint replacements, but can occur. They are usually only temporary, but can take 6-18 months to resolve. Best to see your surgeon and ask them since the surgeon did the surgery and can explain the most likely reason why you are numb. Thank you for your question.
Corey
Corey
Severe numbness is not normal and should be checked by your doctor. It may simply be a nerve stretch at the time of surgery which can resolve with time, but should be checked for something more.
