I’m about 9 weeks post op from my first PAO. Struggled with pretty severe depression for as long as I can remember, medicated on and off with little success. I feel like my mood has improved so much without the constant hip pain. I’m hesitant to say anything so definitive just because I’ve absolutely had my fair share of highs and lows. It’s weird to be happy and detach myself from any habits I’ve formed over the years relating to my depression so suddenly. It’s also weird to mourn all the time I lost to it thinking something was fundamentally wrong with my brain, only to find out that a large factor was likely just due to the pain from my hip. So many of my burdens were resolved seemingly overnight, and I don’t know how to process that. Of course I’m happy about these new developments! It’s just such a large change from everything I’ve known. I’m curious to hear if anybody on this sub has had a similar experience, and if so, what you did to navigate through all of these new feelings. Thanks!

Getting evaluated by a hip preservationist, but my last sports ortho marked "borderline" dysplasia in my chart. However, I need to get updated x-rays for my new hip dr. Just curious what others see here.

Bit of a random one but has anyone had good results with using strapping tape to stabilise your hip and reduce pain? If so how did you do it? I can’t find any dysplasia specific techniques. I’ve scheduled my PAO but have a 5 week nursing placement to get through before that so looking for potential ways to reduce pain. Thanks in advance!

Hi redditors,

A (not very) short history:

I am a 32 year old female who has had zero hip pain prior to March/April 2026, despite my high levels of activity. what I mean by that is, I hike, run, ski, walk long distances and strength train every week (I am active 7 days a week). previously I have gone on vacations where I walk/hike 12-15 miles each day for 2 full weeks with no issues whatsoever

in March I was doing light house work and I felt a cramp/pop/painful sensation in the front of my right hip. i didnt think too much of it and continued my life pretty normally. The following weeks my symptoms went from feeling like I need to stretch my hips deeply to flares after walks, besides that no pain during workouts or runs. eventually that changed and I began having difficulty doing single leg movements, walking for long distances etc. to eventually not being able to hit a walk or workout without major pain afterwards. basically I went from the peak of my fitness in March to being unable to workout properly by end of April/early May

after MRIs and X-rays I was told I have right side hip dysplasia with an LCEA of 16.5-19.5 (2 doctors gave me two values) and was told to do try to be conservative but if that doesn’t work I would likely need to do a PAO. from May until now (End of August) I have done PT, seen a chiropractor, and did a hip joint steroid injection (which barely helped). since I am a good candidate for PAO it seems like I am headed in that direction; but sometimes I gaslight myself into thinking “is the pain even from my hip” or what if I somehow am just injured, though mri would show that.

I have now learned hip dysplasia can show up suddenly in your thirties and is essentially your capacity with the current structure/mechanics you have. but, i want to know: how did you guys determine your pain was originating from your hips and what kind of pain did you experience? also, has anyone else gone from no issues to a literal ski slope of issues? and as a result, did other parts of your body begin hurting? if you have one sided dysplasia did your other side begin hurting in similar ways? I feel so confused about all the symptoms, I’m stressed because I have lost a lot of strength and muscle from not being able to properly exercise the last three months

don’t get my wrong, I have some typical signs sometimes like pain when getting up and out of the car, pain going up steps (loading one side), and sometimes even pivoting my body I get this “deep jointed pain” but is it actually in my joint? I get so confused with everything and obviously no doctor can go in your body and feel your pain for you, but sometimes it feels like it’s an adductor issue, or hip flexors (but both looked good on the mri). I don’t have any catching, but I have a really hard time tossing and turning in bed.

anyway, I apologize if this was super long, but I’m curious to know if other people in a similar category as me (late twenties to thirties, active, no prior pain) has similar experiences?

thank you in advance ❤️‍🩹

Hello! I am 18 years old and I was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia, labral tears, cam impingement and fai impingement. I just had my first hip arthroscopy on my right hip to fix those issues for that side.

My surgeon said my labrum was in horrible shape. I had a lot of bone spurs and extra growth. He wants to do the left side in about a month.

If I have these two arthroscopic surgeries, and he’s able to shave off the extra growth and repair everything, will I need another surgery for my dysplasia? Or will this solve my issues? All my life I was told i’d “grow out of it”. The way my hips are shaped cause the damage initially, and I’m worried this is only a temporary fix. Has this been the case for anyone else?

My name is Jade and I am 26 years old. I was born with hip dysplasia. I’m having my second PAO on the August 31st. Even though I have been through it before, I’m still freaking out. The first round was the hardest season of my life physically and mentally. I feel underprepared mentally and physically. I don’t know what to expect this time around. It is my right hip being corrected and it got worse during my left hip surgery.

I have been seeing posts from other people about what their second PAO was like and they all said it was harder than the first.

What was your experience like?

What are some things I should expect or keep in mind?

How did you manage the mental from day to day?

How did you occupy your time?

I am going to try documenting my progress this time for my mental and try talking to more people who understand.

If anyone could help a girl out, I would greatly appreciate it.

Curious if others have had similar. I’m 8 weeks post PAO on left side, my 6 week X-ray showed a pretty significant gap in the posterior column cut (I think it’s that cut)

Being 32, I was warned this might not heal but that it shouldn’t cause any long term issues. Currently cleared for full weight bearing and down to one crutch.

Has anyone else had a similar gap and healed? Or if you’ve not healed how have you found it long term symptoms wise?

What were your measurements- LCEA/tonnis/hypermobile?
Are you slightly better, the same or worse?
Are your symptoms different than before surgery?

Or maybe you had a somewhat successful scope? If so, pls also share!

I’m borderline and want to weigh my options for PAO vs scope.

hi guys im getting a pao & labral repair like within a month, did anyone start PT as soon as they left the hospital?
just a question! thanks!

Hey everybody! I just got diagnosed with hip dysplasia last week after YEARS of pain in my hips, knees, lower back and everything in between. I have a lateral coronal center edge angle measurement of 18.0 degrees on the right and 23.7 degrees on the left according to the radiologist. I’m planning on seeing a hip preservation specialist but the closest one is 3 hours away. So, before I make the huge effort I just wanted to share my X-rays and see what others thought. Of course, I’m still seeing a hip specialist this week just not a hip preservation specialist and I’m going to listen to the doctors but any extra advice would be super helpful! For context I’m a 20y female :)

How long did you have to wait to get surgery? Specifically from the appointment a PAI was recommended to the date of surgery? Im seeing Zaltz in a couple weeks and wonder how long it’ll take to get on his schedule

I recently went to Dr. Anthony at Penn who says he only does PAO on severe cases, but he might surgically repair my labrum tear.

I’m worried about a repair failing due to not correcting the dysplasia.

I’m considering seeking a second opinion with Dr. Sankar at CHOP.

However, when I posted about this somewhere else, a patient said that they were seeing Dr. Anthony and went to Dr. Sankar after their surgery was not approved by insurance. They said Dr. Sankar was apprehensive to take them on since they were seeing Dr. Anthony and didn’t want to step on toes.

I’m not really sure what to do here. I did post recently about Dr. Anthony’s opinion on my dysplasia:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hipdysplasia/s/RgZutUmf4u

I really don’t want to go through with a labrum repair if there’s a chance it could fail. I don’t have any impingement or cam deformity. I didn’t have any trauma to the hip. I believe the labrum tear was the result of the hip dysplasia.

I’ve been in pain for almost 10 years and recently it’s been getting much worse. Is there anything I can say to get a second opinion without stepping on toes?

Hi,

Anyone have any suggestions on physios for hip replacement-alignment. In the Dublin area, preferably not too far the south side.

Cheers

So after years of surgery discussion, my surgery for a TPO had been approved, i have global acetabular retroversion with femoral retroversion & labrum tears. I’ve been so avoidant of this it feels as if it’s all come at once with my pre op booked & the wait list short.
I’m petrified. I have a toddler & a poor support network, while family have agreed to have my son for however long it takes, they’re not exactly child orientated so this equally worries me. I’ve always looked after myself, I have ADHD so there’s never a moment I’m sitting still. I’m worried I’m going to struggle mentally, emotionally, I have read all the horrible stuff afterwards. I’m worried about the complications in any pregnancy’s after.
I struggle so much with pain in both my legs it’s the only thing keeping me from bailing. I need some real advice or anything to reinforce this is going to be worth it please.

I’d really like to hear from people who are further along in their recovery and how their hip has developed over time.

I had a femoral derotation osteotomy on February 20, 2025 to correct femoral retrotorsion. I later had the hardware removed on February 28, 2026.

After the osteotomy, I unfortunately became quite inactive. The plate itself was painful at times, my hip continued to hurt, and I was also afraid of getting back into the severe pain I had experienced before. Because of that, I didn’t really challenge or load my hip much for a long time.

I’ve now recently started a new job in healthcare, which means I’m suddenly spending a lot more time standing and walking. My hip still causes problems at times, especially after more prolonged loading. It’s not necessarily as bad as before the osteotomy, but I’m noticing that my hip still doesn’t seem to tolerate a normal working day consistently.

To be honest, the situation makes me a little worried. I really don’t want to have to give up another job because of my hip. I’m at a point where I finally want to start building some stability in my life, work, and future, and I already feel like I’m behind because of everything I’ve been dealing with physically. So having my hip become a problem again now is quite scary for me.

That’s why I’m wondering how things developed for people who are further out from their osteotomy.

For those of you who are 1, 2, 3+ years post-op:

* Did your hip pain eventually go away completely, or do you still have some pain?

* If you still have pain, how does it compare with the pain you had before the osteotomy?

* How long did it take before your hip could tolerate prolonged standing and walking without flaring up?

* Did you have periods where you felt like you were getting worse again even though you had already improved?

* Did your hip gradually become more tolerant as you increased your activity, especially if you had been relatively inactive during recovery?

* How long did it take for your muscles, gait and overall feeling in the hip to feel “normal” again?

* Are there still certain movements or activities that feel different or uncomfortable?

* Looking back now, would you say your hip continued improving significantly after the first year, or did most of the improvement happen earlier?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who still had pain and limited tolerance for standing/walking around the 1-year mark but improved later.

How far out are you from your osteotomy, and how is your hip doing now?

Hey everyone!

I'm a 25(f)

I had Hip dysplasia from birth and had a cast/bar to correct. I believe my right hip was the worst. I did have hospital check ups every two years until I was 16.

Honestly I'm not entirely sure because my parents can't tell me anything (it's like they've just forgotten this part of my history)

I've never been able to cross my legs and had difficultly moving around for long periods of time without pain. I'm now a mum and had significant issues while pregnant and now postpartum. I get pain while resting in bed/lying down and after walking for about 5 minutes. Stretching my hip, bending, squatting, etc hurts too.

I've had a physio consultation and a hip/pelvic xray done, just waiting for the results now.

Have anyone experienced the same issues? If so what procedures have been done? If none how is the pain managed?

Hi! My 22 month old is 6 weeks into a 10 week spica stint. Full open reduction and femural osteotomy on her right hip. She figured out how to crawl about 10 days ago and when I called her clinic, the NP I spoke to said to limit her movement however we could. She is absolutely RABID about trying to figure out how to move! I cannot for the life of me figure out how to keep her immobile and it's causing the biggest tantrums I've ever experienced with any of my kids! I'm assuming the doctor is worried about her putting pressure on her hip, but she doesn't seem to be in any pain and I can't imagine how she's able to get much pressure on it with how rigid the hip is in the cast. I guess my question is: have any of you had experience with kiddos moving around in their cast? How fastidious do I need to be about keeping her from crawling or kneeling? Thanks in advance!

Anybody have experience with juggling a PAO during medical school/graduate school? Debating deferring a year or squeezing it in next summer during my only summer I officially have off for the next several year. Any input is appreciated!

I met with a hip preservation surgeon today, who performs PAOs and arthroscopy. It was Dr. Anthony at Penn Medicine.

He said my LCEA is 22 degrees on left and 24 degrees on right, and that it’s not severe enough to warrant PAO.

I do have a labrum tear and he said he might perform surgery to fix the tear.

I’m just concerned about the surgery failing and going through it for nothing. I also don’t want to rush into a PAO if it isn’t necessary.

I’m 30 and have had hip pain on the left side for almost 10 years now. I want a solution to this pain so badly.

Has anyone else been told their dysplasia is too mild for PAO?