I’m Caroline. I’m 27. I have hip dysplasia as well as femoral anteversion and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. I was diagnosed with hip dysplasia at 14 when I tried to start training more seriously for sports. I initially presented with knee pain, but it was quickly discovered that I had hip dysplasia. I had my first PAO at 15. 

 

 

After my PAO I still struggled with pain so also underwent a femoral derotation and labral repair. I spent more that a year on crutches trying to recover from that surgery, and finally relearned how to walk after being told I may not be able to. 

I’ve essentially had the same surgeries mirrored on my other side over the last 10 years. I am currently healing from the femoral osteotomy. When I was younger, I was under the impression that, once I have surgery, I will be “fixed.” For me, that has not been the case. Hip dysplasia continues to affect my function and cause pain, and likely will for the rest of my life. 

 

 

Too often the response to sharing my hip dysplasia diagnosis with others is “like in dogs?” or “I thought only babies had that”. Or they have the automatic assumption that I had a hip replacement when I mention hip surgery. 

Hip dysplasia has had a profound impact on my entire life; it has affected my education, career, social life, and family. I don’t think anyone that has hip dysplasia is affected by it in a small way. I wish more people knew that hip dysplasia affects people across the life span, and understood how deeply it can affect someone. 

 

Thank you for enjoying the hip dysplasia stories. The stories shared by our community members are intended for information and entertainment only. We are incredibly grateful to our hip dysplasia community members who have taken the time to share their experiences and journeys through hip dysplasia. These stories reflect individual experiences and journeys. Nothing in these stories is intended as medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with qualified health professionals who are familiar with your individual medical needs. Miles4Hips does not endorse specific healthcare providers or institutions, and information or opinions shared in these stories does not necessarily reflect those of Miles4Hips or the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.