I'm having shoulder surgery next week for a non-union clavicle fracture. We are going to graft bone?We are grafting bone from my hip. The Doctor says the high use and stress of the shoulder make cadaver bone a bad choice. I'm really worried about the pain. I've heard the hip really hurts bad afterward. Anyone had this done?
Anyone had bone graft from hip - how bad is the pain afterwards?
Question posted by surge98b on 4 Nov 2010
Last updated on 19 March 2021
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
54 Answers Page 3
Jo Larking
17 July 2017
I had a bone graft from my right hip to fuse my right ankle in November 2014,
which was very successful in giving me much more stability, and less pain in the ankle since.
However the pain in the hip has never fully subsided, leaving me with a undescribable sensation over the area, so much so that I cannot lay on that side, or bear anyone to touch it!, (my husband and I have to sleep with a pillow between us, at night in bed, for my fear of him accidentally knocking it! - Not very Romantic!!). Early this year, (when it was cold, I ended up at A&E at our Hospital a couple of times, in excruciating pain!, and am now under the "Pain Clinic" to see if they can suggest anything to help - here's hoping!
Jo Larking
9 Aug 2017
I have now attended the "Pain Clinic" who have started me on "Gabapentin" Tablets (a nerve damage medication) Will update later if helping or not!
Mysterri2002
9 July 2017
I had a bone graft from my hip in 2003. It is very painful but the best thing you can do is to immediately try walking as soon as you are out of the hospital. I made this mistake and still occasionally suffer pain in my hip after walking for a while...
sezaj79
15 April 2017
I've just had a bone graft from hip done 4 weeks ago for shoulder instability,I'm still in a lot of pain and have super sensitive skin around the area and a little beyond,please remember everyone is different though,for instance I have complex regional pain syndrome as well which makes my pain a little worse than a normal person,but yes it is uncomfortable,for how long depends on you :) ask if they will be leaving a pain ball in? It's a ball fill with local anaethstecia that deliver 7mls every hour into ur graft sight,I had this for 3 days post surgery,I'm also still completely numb 4 weeks later,good luck hope all goes well,post us a update :)
Jmp10
15 April 2017
The pain is pretty bad, been 2 weeks and still not going away even with pain pills. Doctor said pain would only last 2 weeks.
Casey4bez
14 April 2017
Oh wow I apologize, didn't realize this was 7 years ago. :)
Casey4bez
14 April 2017
Hello, I am a 26 year old female who had a large bone graft from the hip done last Wednesday. I was in the same boat as you, I searched and searched all over the web trying to find some answers or someone to tell me how it wasn't a big deal. I only found doom-and-gloom answers.
Let me give you a little background, back to the dentist for a lump found on the side of my face. Assuming it was no big deal and had something to do with my wisdom tooth. Lo and behold, they ended up surgically removing it and it was a very rare tumor. This tumor had completely deteriorated my jaw, and there was nothing left but a giant hole surrounded by very breakable bone. So after a few different surgeries, I decided to go ahead and move forward with the Reconstruction of my jaw. This was the conservative route, my other option was a complete jaw replacement surgery.) consisted entirely of bone graft from my right hip.
I'm not going to lie to you, the pain was pretty severe the first two to three days. But nothing any normal person can't handle. They give you good pills to get you through, and you lay around a lot. After day 3, I started feeling much better, and now I'm getting around entirely on my own with just a mild limp. Still taking it easy for the next five to six weeks, but feel much better about it and I'm really glad that I got it done, and this is coming from someone who got a very large sized graft. So don't stress about it too much, it was not really as bad as what you read about. Good luck!
sezaj79
30 March 2017
Iv just had a,bone graft using iliac crest from right hip 2 weeks ago for shoulder stabilization,1st 2 days were painful even to walk but calmed down quickly,unfortunately now tho i have extreme nerve pain from my hip to down the right side of thigh,i can barely move and cant handle it being touched or even the shower on it,am off to doc tomorrow to request tests for possible nerve damage
Spurs71
17 Feb 2017
Hi, i had a bone graft from hip to jaw on 1 Feb. I was in hospital for 2 nights but probably should have been 3 and extra pain relief in my hip! I only had one shot of relief which in hindsight was not enough! Two weeks on i am walking with a slight limp but am doing gentle exercises and a little physio routine that i made up myself to keep as mobile as possible to prevent any oncoming issues as best i can. To answer your question, yes it hurts but it is bearable as long as you medicate properly, everyone is different but my advice would be to move little but offen and medicate correctly.
Denise64
8 Dec 2016
If you can see if your dr could get bone from grafts outside your body... I got graft taken off my right hip in 2002 and I can feel it as it was then... and not 2016
Gypsi
8 Dec 2016
Have you ever heard of the term "Don't ask questions you don't really want the answers to?" This might be one of those times..Yes, I have had hip to shoulder bone graft...
Katie2016
8 Dec 2016
I had a double lumbar fusion 11 weeks ago with a bone graft from my right iliac crest- I went back to work last week and I'm literally in so much pain I can't stand it. I am back to taking pain meds after not having taken them in weeks. I have horrific burning pain in my groin area and buttocks that I didn't have before my surgery.
So to answer your question it hurts- it hurts to walk and it hurts to sit- I take a bath in my whirlpool tub daily and am about to call my dr. Again- at almost 12 weeks post op I am in more pain than I was prior to my surgery.
Denise64
26 Sep 2017
had this fusion done on my back 2oo2 and my right hip still hurts to this day... I try to stay away from pain pills because they really don't work only more side effects to watch for ... I smoke THC in bud form from marijuana, works forgetting the pain that is there... I have had physiomesh hernia mesh put in and taken out in less than 2 weeks along with abdominal muscles, nerves, and bellybutton and have more pain since 2010, and still wondering if infection from mesh got into hip graft... but yeah, 15yrs of pain here mostly on that right hip...
Denise64
8 Oct 2016
Well something I should have found out too... I had 2 back surgeries, unneeded, removal of disc because dr said it was causing pain on nerve, that was in 99. My spine moved forward as I was telling dr that my back really hurt... I was one that I didn't have problems with my back, even though I got thrown by horse and broke a bench with my back, it didn't hurt. Had all these tests and they told me it was this disc that was making my legs burn, but as I read my chart, it stated that "Abnormal Aorta for person of this age"... Asked the back surgeon and my primary that sent me, "Oh, you're too young for that"... damn wish I would have ran... But went to other surgeon and he said he had to fuse my spine. I didn't know that someone using my hip bone would hurt so bad, yeah my back still hurts from 1st surgery, but my hip and the scar have never quit hurting... It was done 2002 and it is 2016 and still hurting...
I have even asked a pain management dr what he can do. He gave me nerve blocks, the last one did something to my legs that I lose feeling and fall down, no dr will help...
Gypsi
17 Aug 2016
Ive recently had a hip to shoulder bone graft... I've also sought-after others experiences... I do have an honest response to the pain .. however, I am only a patient...
I want more answers about the recovery process... this experience has been challenging!!!
Upon my will and faith..
I know it had to be done, however there were a few things not disclosed regarding recovery...
Kayjay626
27 Oct 2017
I know this is 7 years later and you may not even see this comment but I'm curious to how long it took you to recover from your bone graft to shoulder. I'm about to have my third surgery on my right shoulder due to a bad car accident a couple years ago. And I have a big gap in my right clavicle and the Dr is planning on bone graft from my pelvic to shoulder and then double plating it also & I'm terrified and heard the bone graft hurts worse then the surgery
D G McNeff
15 Aug 2016
Had bone graph surgery from both hips &my wrist. To repair my thumb. Had a tumour come up on mby thumb. Five surgeries lalater my thumb was fixed. They had to take one joint from my thumb. This was 20 years ago. My hips hurt badly. The Dr told me the graphs would hurt worse than my thumb ever did. But it was that or lose my thumb.
D G McNeff
15 Aug 2016
I've had graphs taken from both hips. My Dr. Told me the graphs would hurt worse than the problem it could solve.
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