#periacetabularosteotomy

[justjackiesart]

Needing to use a walker to get around kinda blows, but I also have a portable seat at all times, so...

[justjackiesart]

Had my 4 week follow up today, everything's healing really well and I got cleared to start gradually adding weight to my leg. I got better xrays too, and I circled the spots where they cut my bones. I still can't believe it's already been a month. But time flies when you sleep like 20 hours a day lol

[amywilliamstattoo]

Healed mandala and a bit of today's crocodile, at @northsidetattooz Message me on my Facebook page Amy Williams Tattoo to book in. Please follow the link in my bio to help out with my hip op :) #northsidetattooz #northside #amywilliams #amybirdart #periacetabularosteotomy #peanutbutter https://www.instagram.com/p/B7_y12KAd43/?igshid=9um35lq12sqb

[the-science-of-emily-blog]

This is my corrected L hip! Looks pretty much the same as the other hip, right? Slightly shallow but overall okay. According to the protractor app, my L hip LCEA is now measuring around 35 degrees. Before the surgery it was about 21 degrees, which is better than my R side but still dysplastic. 21 to 35 degrees and 9 to 32 degrees is amazing. Hooray for modern medicine!

Also, check out that osteotomy gap and bone graft! My surgeon is a master of precision. Fun fact when I asked him how much force it took to break the pelvis during the procedure, he wouldn’t give me a numerical value. Instead he gave me a look and said, “I usually break a sweat”. Not only that but he uses a crazy big bone chisel! That, of course, he refused to show me.

[the-science-of-emily-blog]

For those of you interested, this is a close-up of my corrected R hip. I downloaded a protractor app and measured the lateral center edge angle (LCEA). As you can see, the LCEA measures at just over 30 degrees, which is well within a normal value (normal hips measure anywhere from 25-40 degrees). When you look at the socket itself, you can see how shallow it is. Normal hips curve around the femoral head more closely and create a “cup” for the head of the femur. This is still far better than it had been! I went from an LCEA of 9 degrees to almost 32 degrees! Certainly not perfect - I still have aches and pains - but much better. The white lines up top are the 4 screws that held my osteotomy in place directly post-op.

[the-science-of-emily-blog]

I have two white cats. They are almost identical; brother & sister. This one is named Squeeze. She likes treats and cuddling. She has been a great comfort to me during these tough hip surgery recoveries. 

[the-science-of-emily-blog]

Persian Silk Tree - Albizia julibrissin - also known as a Mimosa tree. I took this photo last June before my R PAO. We were visiting North Carolina for the weekend and I took a walk to enjoy my freedom. 

[the-science-of-emily-blog]

It was -20 degrees in Michigan yesterday. I don’t mind snow, but the extreme cold makes my hips hurt. This photo was taken last May when I could still hike and the mosquitoes were out in full force. Remembering better times today.