The Person:
Floyd Landis is among the top cyclists in the United States and the world. Landis finished 9th overall is the 2005 Tour de France. In 2006 he has won the Tour of California and the Tour de Georgia, as well as winning the Paris-Nice race in France. He is among the favorites in the 2006 Tour de France.
The Injury:
Landis first
injured his hip in January 2003 in a crash where he sustained a hip fracture. The type of fracture he sustained is called a
femoral neck fracture - in these injuries the ball, of the ball-and-socket hip joint, is broken off the top of the thigh bone (femur). When this injury occurs, the blood supply to the hip joint is disrupted.
The Aftermath:
After this type of hip fracture, the hope is that the blood supply to the injured bone will be sufficient to allow healing. If the blood supply is too badly damaged, the bone may die, a condition called
hip osteonecrosis. Once osteonecrosis becomes a problem, the bone can no longer support the joint cartilage, and the joint collapses, causing
hip arthritis. Landis underwent a
second procedure in 2004 to stimulate blood flow to the region of osteonecrosis, a procedure called a decompression.
What's Next:
Because Landis has such
extensive hip arthritis, he will ultimately need a hip replacement surgery.
Hip replacement surgery will remove the damaged joint surfaces from the hip, as well as the bone damaged by the
hip osteonecrosis, and replace these with a
prosthetic implant. Landis is trying to compete as long as possible with his own hip, and expects to have the hip replacement performed when he can no longer compete.
Can He Continue?:
Many are wondering if Landis will be able to continue to compete in cycling with a hip replacement. Very few athletes have ever been able to compete at a high level with a joint replacement - Bo Jackson tried baseball after his hip replacement. While it may be unlikely that he can continue this level of sport with an artificial hip, it is just as incredible that he is competing with extensive arthritis caused by hip osteonecrosis. Only time will tell!
