Walkon, thanks and I'm glad that you declare yourself healed from the injury. I had other issues show up on scans but that got categorized as 46 yr old body issues, normal for my age. At this point I just have to let hard work, positive attitude and time work their magic and I'll see if I can hang with my old bike group in the spring.

I'm one month shy of my two year anniversary of the fall. Speed is back, range is ok but not great. The one thing that has changed is the amount of risk I will take on the bike. It's hard to tell how much was the fall and how much is just getting old. The bike is the one place that I do not think about my hip, I just ride. I know there were times during my recovery that I thought I would never ride again, I was wrong.

Adam,

Yes, you will ride AGAIN, soon but don't push anything. I agree with others that the mental part is something difficult to get your arms around. I was severely depressed post op until weight baring. Do you know how to swim crawl? I highly recommend putting lots of time in the water which is plenty of resistance during your recovery. Don't rush anything all will come naturally if you stay healthy, trust me. Get sports massage frequently after your recovery workouts. I cannot endorse ROM with resistance in light of 2.5 months post op, perhaps 1 year out? I swam daily while on crutches and only lightly spun post op 3 to 5 months. I tried resistance ROM at 5 months post op, but discontinued and never went back due to discomfort and fatigue of the joint.

Quick update. I've been walking since mid October. Now (jan,1,2012) I'm walking without a cane but limping. I have been back on the bike a few times with my longest ride of 29 miles! It felt great. Walking is more painful than riding. The strength is still not full back, the thigh nerves are still screwed up. My leg feels hot, then cold then like needles are stabbing me. All of the recovery so far I feel very possitice about. Range of motion is getting better but still not like my right leg and probably will never quite be. I'm going to spend time on the trainer this winter and will hopefully report in the spring that I'm once again riding with my local bike club

Nice progress report. Keep working at it.

Adam, sounds like you're doing well. Be very careful with the limping thing--my mechanics got screwed up or maybe there was an aggravation of a pre-existing bad disk or something, but the sciatica in my uninjured side has been an ongoing issue. Right now, it's pretty calm, but the non-injured leg has some numbness in it. Walk in a shallow pool if you can get to one and focus on walking without the limp. That helped a lot.

On an interesting side note to the recovery, I went to the regular ortho guy today for my 2d annual (2 years from injury). The surgeon isn't on our plan, which is another story. The surgeon said I would get arthritis within the first year or I wouldn't get it, at least not from the injury. The current guy says there are some early signs of arthritis in that hip and that the area of dead bone hasn't gone away, but hasn't gotten any worse. He's still saying I have to get a hip replacement, but there is no way to tell if it will be in a year or 5 years.

It feels great. I really am over that particular injury, riding well and only having some occasional discomfort in that area. Riding the bike is really great therapy for that joing, so get at it as soon as you can. Like Jay said, I'm more risk averse now--I won't ride with big groups of aggressive, fast riders, although I'm finally comfortable drafting or pulling with 3 or 4 people I know to be pretty cautious.

Keep the wheels on the road!

I thought it just makes your head big. And white.

Here's an interesting data point.

Having fractured both of my elbows two years ago and my femur this year my primary physician and I decided it would be good to know if this repeated fracturing is a fluke or if I have a propensity for repeated fracturing. It turns out that repeated fractures doesn't match Medicare's template for justifying a bone density scan.

My doctor's insurance coders are going to try to make it work but, if they fail, I'm on the hook for the cost of the test.

Thanks walkon. Theool idea is great, I'll do that this winter as a guest of a friend at his club. Im practicing normal walking with every step. Trying not to develope a weird problem.

One year update. I'm back! Next weekend I ride the 100 mile maine Lobster ride event. The one I crashed on 360 days ago. I've been riding three days a week. Faster and better than ever. I'm doing everything I did before the crash. Stiffness remains, range of motion not quite the same and the tactile sensation on my thigh is off a bit, occasional knee pain. I think I still have some strength to build. But I'm riding about 35 mile hilly roads at about a 21 mph ave. hard disciplined rehab and a great surgeon worked well together. Thanks for all your support. I'm out!

Acetabular Fracture in April 2007 at the Wildflower Century Ride in Paso Robles California. I was transported to Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles that evening and had the surgery to repair the fracture the next day (Sunday).
A chain like fixation device (8 inch metal strap) was used to hold the acetabulum in place to insure proper alignment during healing. The device was left in place.
After several months I fully recovered and rode 4000 miles a year (5 years) pain free until I pulled a muscle in my thigh while hiking with my grand daughter 2 months ago. The pulled muscle healed quickly but I continue to have stiffness and soreness in my in muscles around my hip. The soreness gets worse when I ride the bike. So far an xray indicates the hip socket is okay but there is no explanation for the ongoing stiffness and discomfort in the muscles. My current orthopedist thinks it may of have something to do with the metal strap but not sure. I am seeing the original Surgeon at Cedar Sinai next week to get his opinion.
I am hoping the strap is not the problem because going in to get it would require another major surgical procedure. Its questionable if my insurance company would approve the procedure.
Obviously I am very concerned about how this will end up. I love to ride and can't imagine life without it.

Jerry

Good luck with it. I understand it would be hard not being able to ride -- but I wouldn't rush into anything. Especially as so far they really don't know. Best of luck with the original surgeon. Maybe he will know.

Broke my acetabulum to pieces and a few other less important bones in a car crash on 2009.

It took me 2 months at the hospital. The first week with pure morphine to help with the most pain I could have ever imagined. And a lot of tear painful rehabilitation since day one after surgery.

Sedentary life after that big effort (mental and physical) to recover, brought me to the sofa. 340 lbs and depression. A little bit of arthrosis from the acetabulum that made procastinating any physical activity. Also lost my job after 2 years on leave. Health condition became not very promising at 40 years old. I was really deteriorating fast.

Although Im "nearly" as capable as I was, let me confess you that my leg is not exactly the same it was before. Can perfectly walk and nobody would notice, but long walks are over for me now (although I don't tell my family). And that frustration brought me to a cazy idea. Give a bicycle a try. That was a year ago and I've already ridden over 4.000 km. on my new rigid. (Last bike I bought was some 20 years ago).

Let me assure you that the bike has brought me massive happiness, incredible health improvement, and a lot of confidence on myself. I was handicapped before, and now I'm free. And capable. And strong. And... alive!.

I hope I can keep riding for a long time. And yes. I ended up here searching for hip protections. I confess I'm still scared to death of falling over it and going back through that experience again. But even if it happened, I have the will, a bike, (and the hospitals the morphine).

Wish you good recovering, mates.

Chapu

I detailed my big crash last year in another post but I can say that I am not over the mental part. I have been going to spin classes to try and keep in shape but the few times I have ridden I don't feel confident. The last ride a week or so I fell at a stop sign and got a nasty bruise but no other damage. Helmet 2
serious injury 0... I am 67 and am also finding it hard to get back in shape. My usual 13 mile loop feels like a struggle from the first pedal stroke. I know you have to just keep at it. I guess is should just saddle up and shut up!

If the fear of falling is keeping you from riding, just remember that trikes exist. And some recumbents sit pretty darned low - falling from 8-13 inches is almost a non-event.