Hip Arthritis



Hip Arthritis: The pelvis bone and thigh bone connect at the hip joint.
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Early Treatments of Hip Arthritis
• Anti-Inflammatory Medications
• Glucosamine
• Physical Therapy

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Surgery Treatment For Hip Arthritis
• Hip Replacement Surgery - addressed later on the page

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Information about hip arthritis and available treatments

What is the most common type of hip arthritis?

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of hip arthritis. Also called wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of the cartilage of the joint. Please continue reading below...


As the protective cartilage is worn away by hip arthritis, bare bone is exposed within the joint.

Who develops hip arthritis?

Hip arthritis typically affects patients over 50 years of age. It is more common in patients who are overweight, and weight loss tends to reduce the symptoms associated with hip arthritis. There is also a genetic predisposition of this condition, meaning hip arthritis tends to run in families. Other factors that can contribute to developing hip arthritis include trauma to the hip and fractures to the bone around the joint.

What are the common symptoms of hip arthritis?

Hip arthritis symptoms tend to progress as the condition worsens. What is interesting about hip arthritis is that symptoms do not always progress steadily with time. Often patients report good months and bad months or symptom changes with weather changes. This is important to understand because comparing the symptoms of hip arthritis on one particular day may not accurately represent the overall progression of the condition.

The most common symptoms of hip arthritis are:

Pain with activities

Limited range of motion

Stiffness of the hip

Walking with a limp
Evaluation of a patient with hip arthritis should begin with a physical examination and X-Rays. These can serve as a baseline to evaluate later examinations and determine progression of the condition.

What is the treatment for hip arthritis?
Treatment of hip arthritis should begin with the most basic steps, and progress to the more involved, possibly including surgery. Not all treatments are appropriate in every patient, and you should have a discussion with your doctor to determine which treatments are appropriate for your hip arthritis.

Weight Loss
Probably one of the most important, yet least commonly performed treatments. The less weight the joint has to carry, the less painful activities will be.

Activity Modification
Limiting certain activities may be necessary, and learning new exercise methods may be helpful. Aquatic exercise is an excellent option for patients who have difficulty exercising.

Walking Aids
Use of a cane or a single crutch is the hand opposite the affected hip will help decrease the demand placed on the arthritic joint.

Physical Therapy
Strengthening of the muscles around the hip joint may help decrease the burden on the hip. Preventing atrophy of the muscles is an important part of maintaining functional use of the hip.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications Anti-inflammatory pain medications (NSAIDs) are prescription and nonprescription drugs that help treat pain and inflammation.

Joint Supplements (Glucosamine)
Glucosamine appears to be safe and might be effective for treatment of osteoarthritis, but research into these supplements has been limited.

Total Hip Replacement Surgery
In this procedure the cartilage is removed and a metal & plastic implant is placed in the hip

Basics of Total Hip Replacment Surgery

Total hip replacement surgery is one of the most common orthopedic procedures. Hip replacement surgery was performed almost 300,000 times in the United States in 1997. Because of the long history of hip replacement surgery, this procedure has become a safer and more reliable method to treat severe arthritis pain.

What are common symptoms of hip arthritis?
Patients who have severe hip arthritis typically have difficulty walking, stiffness of the joint, and pain in the groin and thigh. Please continue reading below...

The most common place to experience hip pain is the groin area; patients may also complain of thigh, back and knee pain. If pain is experienced in the low back, buttock, or outside of the thigh, a careful examination must be performed to determine the source of the problem. Often low back problems and knee conditions can be confused with hip pain. Over time, patients who have hip arthritis often develop a limp--the body's attempt to minimize the forces acting on the joint.

What causes severe degeneration of the hip joint?

The most common cause of hip arthritis is known as osteoarthritis, or degenerative joint disease. A narrow hip joint without cartilage and bone spurs are common findings on an x-ray. Other possible causes of joint problems include rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis (also called avascular necrosis), and tumors. However, the most common reason for needing total hip replacement surgery is osteoarthritis.

When is a total hip replacement necessary?

The first step in treating hip arthritis is conservative treatments. Options include:

Anti-Inflammatory Medication
The medications are effective at treating the inflammation of hip arthritis and also help with pain relief. There are many medications available, and some may be better for you than others. Knowing which one is best is difficult to determine, and is often best discovered by trying different medications.

Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can help maintain motion and strength of the soft-tissues and muscles around the joint. Even if total hip replacement surgery is definitely necessary, physical therapy can help keep your joint in the best shape possible prior to total hip replacement surgery.

Cane or Walker
Use of a cane or walker is helpful at taking some of the burden off your joint. These devices often help you walk more comfortably and without a limp.
If these treatments are not adequate in treating your symptoms, then total hip replacement surgery may be recommended. Before surgery is considered, a thorough medical evaluation should be completed to ensure you are in good health and your body is prepared as best possible for the procedure.

What is done when hip replacement surgery is performed?

The procedure involves removing the ball and socket arthritic joint. The top part of the thigh bone (femur) is removed, and an implant with a stem fits within the central canal of the femur. Then any remaining cartilage and some bone is removed from the socket part of the joint (within the pelvis), and a new socket is put in its place. These replace the ball and socket, and allow movement at the new joint.

There are many total hip replacement implant options available to your surgeon, including the type of material (metal and ceramic), and design of the implant. In some patients, a particular implant is necessary to accommodate for a deformity of the bones, or special circumstances. In others, a variety of implants would work well, and surgeon preference is used to determine the implant used.