Hip Fractures
I suffered a hip fracture and three weeks ago had surgery to insert a plate and screws on the neck of my femur. Is it safe to dive eight weeks after surgery, and is there a risk of decompression illness (DCI) or osteonecrosis?
A: While you should seek a specific answer from a local physician trained in dive medicine, I can offer general guidelines. The industry standard for a return to diving after any fracture is for your doctor to release you for full and unrestricted activity, including contact sports, and then have an additional convalescent period of one-half the length of the regular healing time for the fracture. This extra time is to recover any lost physical fitness and aerobic capacity due to atrophy during the healing and rehabilitation process. If your doctor releases you for full and unrestricted activity after six weeks, for example, you should add three weeks for a total waiting period of nine weeks. These numbers are merely an example, and you should consult with your treating physician for a definitive answer.
The ability to conduct rigorous exercise, stress that joint through the range expected, and have a full recovery without restrictions, risk of injury, dislocation or other problems are issues to discuss with your surgeon.
Osteonecrosis is more closely related to long-term exposure without following the proper decompression protocols and is of very little concern in your case. There are very few documented cases of dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON) in recreational divers. Data suggest that scar tissue doesn't ongas and offgas as efficiently as healthy tissue; however, diving well within recreational limits can mitigate, although not eliminate, risk of DCI.
— Lana P. Sorrell, MBA, EMT, DMT
A: While you should seek a specific answer from a local physician trained in dive medicine, I can offer general guidelines. The industry standard for a return to diving after any fracture is for your doctor to release you for full and unrestricted activity, including contact sports, and then have an additional convalescent period of one-half the length of the regular healing time for the fracture. This extra time is to recover any lost physical fitness and aerobic capacity due to atrophy during the healing and rehabilitation process. If your doctor releases you for full and unrestricted activity after six weeks, for example, you should add three weeks for a total waiting period of nine weeks. These numbers are merely an example, and you should consult with your treating physician for a definitive answer.
The ability to conduct rigorous exercise, stress that joint through the range expected, and have a full recovery without restrictions, risk of injury, dislocation or other problems are issues to discuss with your surgeon.
Osteonecrosis is more closely related to long-term exposure without following the proper decompression protocols and is of very little concern in your case. There are very few documented cases of dysbaric osteonecrosis (DON) in recreational divers. Data suggest that scar tissue doesn't ongas and offgas as efficiently as healthy tissue; however, diving well within recreational limits can mitigate, although not eliminate, risk of DCI.
— Lana P. Sorrell, MBA, EMT, DMT
Posted in Alert Diver Spring Editions, Dive Safety FAQ
Posted in Fractures, Hip surgery, Osteonecrosis
Posted in Fractures, Hip surgery, Osteonecrosis
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