Hip Osteoarthritis

The hip joint is a weight-bearing joint which may be at risk for "wear and tear" arthritis, i.e. osteoarthritis. The smooth lining or articular cartilage, on the ends of the bones that helps your hip joint glide may wear thin. The first signs may be pain, discomfort or stiffness in your groin, buttock or thigh when you wake up in the morning. The pain is worse when you're active and may be relieved with rest and painkillers.

Hip osteoarthritis may progressively worsen, such that day to day activities, such as walking, may be affected. The hip joint gets stiff and inflamed. Bone spurs might build up at the edges of the joint. If the cartilage wears away completely, bones rub directly against each other. This makes movements about the hip very painful and difficult. It may compromise your ability to rotate, flex or extend your hip. If you become less active to avoid the pain the muscles controlling your joint become weak, and you may start to limp.

Hip osteoarthritis is very common. You are at risk if you are elderly, overweight, or have an injury or previous fracture that puts increased load on your hip cartilage. The likelihood of developing hip osteoarthritis is also increased if you have a family history of the condition. You may also develop hip osteoarthritis if you don't have any risk factors.

Recent research has demonstrated that the shape and alignment of some patients hips may be at risk of developing early arthritis (so called 'impingement syndrome').  Patients who complain of groin pain made worse with prolonged sitting, getting in and out of a car, a 'catching' sensation and pain worse with any activities that involve flexing the hip, may have hip impingement. These patients may also have an associated tear of the cartilage lining the hip (ie the acetabular labrum). Early treatment of this condition may help relieve symptoms and possibly prevent progression to established hip arthritis
 

Investigations

Hip osteoarthritis is not curable. However, early non operative treatment may help you avoid a lot of pain and disability and slow progression of the disease. Surgery can also help if your condition is already severe. You doctor will determine how much the disease has progressed.  If appropriate, your hips will be X-rayed to check if hip joint space has changed, and if you have developed bone spurs or other abnormalities. Occasionally an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan may be requested.