Broken hip and pins, why did doctor say my husband would always limp

[CindiW2]

When we asked doctor through the nurse after the exam why he said my husband would always limp even after corrective surgery on his hip, the doctor didn't get back to us.
He fell and broke his hip a few years ago and the doctor pinned his hip together I guess. I know he got pins. He is always in pain and limps, needs a cane. He got physical therapy as described. We saw several doctors. One said the pin is coming out. The last one said it's not coming out but it is retractable, but even if he had surgery to lessen the pain (lessen the pain?), he would always limp. Again, when we asked why he said he would always limp, we got no answer.

[Sara_MHModerator]

Hello and thank you for the question.  Some people limp after hip surgery post fracture because of weakness in hip abductor muscles or gluteous maximus or gluteous  minimus.  which stabilize your hips when you walk.  Working with a physical therapist after such surgery helps prevent or minimize walking with a limp.  Rehabilitation post surgery is very important.  I see that your husband did physical therapy but that it didn't prevent limping.  That is unfortunate.    I am also very sorry to hear that he is still in pain.  The statistic also is that 20% of people who have hip pinning have another fracture within 2 years of the initial one.  https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/what-to-know-about-surgery-for-hip-fractures#1  Could he have another fracture?  And his pins could be becoming loose as they are telling him and he may need to undergo another surgery.  Please let us know how he is doing.

[CindiW2]

Thank you for your kind response. One doctor said the x-ray shows the pin is out of place. Another doctor said that it is a movable pin, and was not very helpful. I found both of them willing to give their opinion but reluctant to give answers as to why he cannot walk very well. Both said it could improve the pain if he has an operation, but neither said why or what was causing the pain. He is a diabetic and has serious leg issues (vascular) and that also is alarming in the sense of an operation. It's kind of sad because he had been active before this. Thank you for your response. (He did go through the required physical therapy after the operation but still limped.)

[CindiW2]

One doctor said the pins were placed correctly, another said the pin was projecting and a third said the pin was made to move, so it seems. There is a doctor in Florida that works at a hospital but does not take Medicare and he gives lectures but he is very, very expensive, and frankly I don't know if it will help, but we might go in for a consultation. For which he charges plenty.