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Hip osteoarthritis is caused by the degeneration of articular cartilage in the hip joint, leading to pain and difficulty walking. Risk factors include family history, hip injuries, age, and obesity. Diagnosis involves physical examination and X-rays, and treatment includes medication and surgery.
Hip osteoarthritis is a condition in which the bones attached to the hip joints cannot move properly. The hip joints are covered in a protective barrier known as articular cartilage, which helps cushion the area between the hip joints and the thigh bones. Once the articular cartilage begins to degenerate, the hip joint will begin to rub against the thigh bones during movement and make walking painful or difficult.
Symptoms of hip osteoarthritis develop slowly and can vary during periods of sustained physical activity. Symptoms may start as tenderness near the buttocks, thighs, or groin. As the condition worsens, friction between the hip joint and the thigh bones can result in the total loss of joint cartilage and cause extra abnormal bone growths known as bone spurs. People with severe hip osteoarthritis typically walk with a limp as the condition progresses.
There are no exact causes of hip osteoarthritis, but there are a variety of factors that can contribute to your likelihood of developing the condition. People with a family history of the condition are more likely to get it, as are those who experience hip injuries early in life. As people age, their bones may become thinner and more susceptible to deterioration from osteoarthritis. Obesity can put a strain on the hip joints and cause wear and tear on the articular cartilage.
A doctor can diagnose hip osteoarthritis by moving a patient’s legs to check for pain or clicking sounds that could be a sign of the thigh bones rubbing against the hip joints. A patient may also walk and stand on one leg to determine if they have significant lameness or lack of hip strength indicative of the condition. To ensure that the patient’s symptoms are not due to a different condition, a doctor may also take X-rays to check for bone spurs developing.
Hip osteoarthritis has no cure, but its symptoms can be treated. Mild cases of the condition can be treated by limiting physical activity that puts pressure on the joints and by taking anti-inflammatory medications. As the condition progresses, a person may be in constant severe pain, so a doctor may perform total hip replacement surgery to relieve the friction between the hip joints and thigh bones. He or she makes an incision and surgically attaches a prosthesis near the hip joints which can help the joints and bones move more smoothly and prevent painful friction.
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