FAI and other kinds of arthritis?

[kl276]

Hi All,

This is a bit of an odd question but I'd be really grateful for others' insights or experiences. Does anyone here have arthritis in other joints or any other medical condition that could be related?

I'm asking because I actually started with joint pains at 19 (7.5 years ago) which started in my knees and have moved to my back and then hips. I've now had arthroscopic surgery to sort out my right cam hip and related mess (including a bursectomy) and may have the left one done later this year. However, I have knee arthritis which I haven't done anything about yet and I imagine if I got my back properly checked out that is propbably messed up too. My physio thinks I have an underlying condition but my blood tests are all normal. Is anyone else in a similar position? All my docs keep looking at one thing in isolation but I can't really believe that all the artthritis is just random coincidence!

Thanks very much,

Kit

[dreamwalker]

I had a similar experience - started having knee and back pain as early as 14 but no hip pain until I was about 19 or 20. What I had in my knees was chrondomalacia (runner's knee), but after I started bicycling regularly, my quadriceps got strong enough to keep my knees from hurting. I have mild hip dysplasia in both hips, and I suspect that contributed to my knees hurting when I was younger. I've had torn labrums in both hips worked on, and before I had the right hip done, my left knee was getting unstable. My back sometimes gets stiff, but it's not something I'm concerned about, nor am I worried about my knees. I was once told by an orthopedic doc that I have loose joints - I can pull my thumb all the way to my forearm, and my fingers bend back to nearly a 90% angle with the back of my hand. I think blood tests only show rheumatic arthritis, not osteoarthritis. Last summer while I was moving, I would wake up with my hands so sore that I couldn't close them into a fist until they loosened up through the morning, but nothing showed up on blood tests or x-rays. The doctor thought it was just overuse. I have a LOT of books, so I guess my hands were sore from putting them on shelves.

[kl276]

Hiya

That's interesting - so you are hypermobile? I have signs of OA on my x-rays but I cant really understand how I can have it so young in my knees and hips. Of course these things do hapen I guess but still...grrrr

I cannot imagine how many books you must have!

Thanks

kit

[dreamwalker]

I was 18 when a doctor told me I had osteoarthritis in my knees. They don't bother me anymore - now it's just the hips.

I can't even tell you how many books I have, but it takes about 30 small boxes to move all of them. Keep in mind that I am an English teacher!

[Rayray]

Strange. When I was 21 I went to my GP as I kept getting awful pain in my knee when going down stairs, it also ached all the time. Had some anti-inflamms and after a year or so it settled. At the same time I couldn't straighten my arm at the elbow. All seem related. Anyway, at the consultation he looked at my knee and as he bent it heard almighty clunking coming from my hip. He asked if it hurt but it didn't, a few months later it did and 27 years later it still does!! I haven't got arthritis though, my FAI does not seem to have caused any, just awful pain from the condition itself. My knee and elbow have been fine ever since! All bazaar but I bet there is a link.