The most common type of osteoarthritis occurs in the hip osteoarthritis, medical experts say, describing it as an ailment which may cause inflammation, breakdown, and the eventually loss of cartilage in the joints. It usually end up with surgical procedure — hip implantation — about which the Australian government admits that one in four ASR hip replacements fails in recipients.
The hip is a weight-bearing joint which may cause significant problem. About one in four Americans may expect to develop osteoarthritis of the hip during their lifetime, according to research presented at the 2006 American College of Rheumatology annual meeting, as reported by the about.com website.
Early diagnosis and treatment help manage hip osteoarthritis symptoms. An overview of hip osteoarthritis will help you understand symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.
Hip osteoarthritis is caused by deterioration of articular cartilage and wear and tear of the hip joint. There are several reasons this can develop through: previous hip injury, previous fracture, which changes hip alignment, genetics, congenital and developmental hip disease, subchondral bone that is too soft or too hard, avascular necrosis and diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis.
Doctors will consider the patients complete medical history, results from her/his physical examination, and x-rays to determine the extent of joint damage and formulate a diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis. If more information is needed, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may be ordered by the doctor. Blood tests may be used if it is necessary to rule out other types of arthritis.
According to the American College of Rheumatology, the classification criteria for osteoarthritis of the hip, must include hip pain and at least two of the following three criteria such as erythrocyte sedimenation rate, 20 mm/hr, femoral or acetabular osteophytes seen on x-ray and joint space narrowing seen on x-ray.
Researchers revealed that patients suffering from hip osteoarthritis have pain localized in the groin area and the front or side of the thigh. Morning stiffness, though for less duration, occurs with rheumatoid arthritis, and is also characteristic of hip osteoarthritis. Most significantly, there is limited range of motion of the hip and pain during motion. The symptoms can worsen to the point that pain is constantly present.
Hip osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but there are treatments available to help manage the symptoms. Treatment plans should be personalized to each patient, according to the American College of Rheumatology, and other conditions must be considered.
Medications are one way to treat hip osteoarthritis. For mild cases, acetaminophen is usually tried first. NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory) and opioid analgesics are used for moderate to severe hip osteoarthritis. If the medication is less effective in relieving a person from the pain, surgery is the last option. But a risk is deemed present in hip implants which has been the subject of several DePuy hip recall.