Hip Osteoarthritis

What Is Osteoarthritis of the Hip?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It’s primarily caused by age-related wear and tear. The ends of bones are covered in a smooth material called cartilage. This covering allows the joint to move easily by reducing friction where the two bones meet.

Hip osteoarthritis can occur when the cartilage in the hip joint wears away, leaving less protection for the bones. As the unprotected bones rub together, they can damage each other, causing pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Ultimately, the hip joint may fail, significantly limiting mobility.

How Common Is Hip Osteoarthritis?

One in four people will develop hip osteoarthritis by age 85. The risk of hip osteoarthritis is similar for people of different races and sexes. This condition occurs most often in older patients, but younger people can develop hip osteoarthritis after experiencing a joint injury.

How Serious Is Osteoarthritis of the Hip?

Osteoarthritis of the hip can make daily life uncomfortable or difficult, but it isn't an emergency or a dangerous condition.

Hip Osteoarthritis Symptoms

Symptoms of hip osteoarthritis result from inflammation in the hip joint. Common symptoms include:

• Pain with activity
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• A grinding or crunching sensation
• Limitations in range of motion

Where Is Hip Arthritis Pain Felt?

Hip osteoarthritis pain usually develops gradually over a period of years, though it can appear suddenly after an acute injury if there was previous underlying arthritis.

Typically, hip arthritis pain occurs in the hips and surrounding areas: the lower back, groin, and buttocks. The groin is the most common location for hip pain. Sometimes, pain can occur as far away as the knee or ankle. This is called "referred pain" because it results from increased strain on those areas as you compensate for your inflamed hip joint.

What Causes Hip Osteoarthritis?

The different types of arthritis in the hips have different causes.

Osteoarthritis in the hips results from wear and tear that degrades the protective cartilage on your bones. Several factors can affect your likelihood of degrading this protective layer and developing hip osteoarthritis:

• Age: The risk of developing osteoarthritis increases with age. It's most common in individuals over 50.
• Genetics: Having a family member with hip osteoarthritis means you're more likely to develop the condition.
• Obesity: The stress of carrying extra weight on joints increases wear and tear on the joint. You take four to seven pounds of pressure off the hip for every pound you lose.
• Joint injury: Accidents or injuries that damage cartilage and other hip joint structures may lead to additional degeneration.
• Gender: Women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men.
• Anatomical variant: The shape of your bones and joints can lead to increased cartilage deterioration.

How Do You Diagnose Osteoarthritis in the Hip?

If you have symptoms of hip osteoarthritis, your doctor will conduct a physical exam and talk to you about your symptoms and medical history. Your physician will examine your hip for pain, swelling, and joint stiffness.

Hip osteoarthritis can feel like either a sharp or dull pain and can provoke symptoms throughout the lower body. Identifying it isn't always easy.

Your doctor may order imaging tests to help diagnose your hip arthritis. X-rays, for example, can show joint space narrowing that may indicate osteoarthritis. Your doctor may also order blood tests to rule out other arthritis conditions or evaluate your joint fluid for other conditions that may lead to hip pain.

If your doctor determines osteoarthritis to be the cause of your symptoms, you may need to see an orthopedic specialist who can diagnose the severity of your condition.

What Are the Four Stages of Hip Osteoarthritis?

Doctors divide hip osteoarthritis into four stages based on the severity and progression of the disease:

• Stage 1: The damage and bone spurs (which develop due to bone damage) are minor. You may experience little to no pain.
• Stage 2: In this stage, also called "mild hip osteoarthritis," cartilage begins to degrade, and bone spurs may become visible on an X-ray. You start to experience noticeable pain and stiffness.
• Stage 3: The cartilage breaks down more significantly, and the bones get closer together. You experience pain, stiffness, and swelling during everyday activities like walking.
• Stage 4: The cartilage on your hip bones is gone or almost gone. You experience pain, swelling, and stiffness almost constantly.

When you receive a hip osteoarthritis diagnosis, a specialist can tell you what stage your condition is in and what to expect as the disease progresses.

Hip Osteoarthritis Treatments

You can often manage the pain from hip osteoarthritis with conservative treatments like physical therapy, exercise, and medication. In other cases, surgery may be necessary.

Non-Surgical Treatments for Hip Osteoarthritis

Non-surgical interventions and lifestyle factors can preserve the health of your hip and help you stay active and comfortable. Possibilities include:

• Losing extra weight to reduce pressure on joints
• Switching from high-impact sports (basketball or tennis) to activities that place less stress on hips (cycling or swimming)
• Addressing injuries when they occur
• Exercises prescribed by a physician or sessions with a physical therapist to strengthen hip and leg muscles, improving flexibility and range of motion
• Anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin or ibuprofen)
• Injections of corticosteroids and other therapeutics

Surgical Treatments for Hip Osteoarthritis

When conservative treatments don’t relieve hip osteoarthritis symptoms, surgical treatments may be a better option:

• Total hip replacement surgery (arthroplasty): A surgeon can remove damaged bone from the hip socket and the femoral head and replace it with new joint surfaces made of metal, plastic, and/or ceramic.
• Partial hip replacement: In a partial replacement, the surgeon replaces only the ball of the hip joint and leaves the socket intact. This surgery is most common in certain types of hip fractures..
• Arthroscopy: Minimally invasive surgery called arthroscopy allows the surgeon to use smaller incisions and tiny cameras and instruments to repair abnormalities in the hip that contribute to wear and tear.
• Osteotomy: In some cases, surgery around the hip can adjust anatomical irregularities that may contribute to wear and tear without removing bone.

FAQs About Hip Osteoarthritis

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