What Is Hip Osteoarthritis and Treatment?
Chronic pain and stiffness are major symptoms of Osteoarthritis. It is an affliction that impacts not only the hip but other joints as well.
Often, senior citizens are at greater risk than young adults. However, an injury can speed up joint degeneration, leading to arthritis early in life.
This post discusses hip osteoarthritis and treatment options in detail.
Anatomy
The hip is a major part of the musculoskeletal system. It is a ball-and-socket joint. In addition, the hip might look simple outside but it has a complicated and intricate internal structure.
The following components together create the basic anatomical structure.
- The Acetabulum (The Socket)
- The Femoral Head (The Ball)
- The Labrum
- Articular Cartilage
- Ligaments
- Tendons
- Bursae
- Synovial Membrane
- Muscles
- Nerves
A problem related to any of these parts of the hip results in pain, discomfort and immobility.
Hip Osteoarthritis
It is a specific form of arthritis related to cartilage, which is a soft-tissue layer over bone ends.
The ball part of the hip is covered by this layer. The main function of cartilage is to allow friction-free motion along with other parts like the labrum, bursae, etc.
In osteoarthritis, the cartilage becomes completely damaged. As a result, the socket and ball parts rub against each other. Over time, the situation becomes worse. Bone spurs start to form over the edges of the bones, leading to chronic inflammation and stiffness.
The affected person has to face mobility issues progressively without treatment.
There are mainly three main reasons for cartilage to get damaged.
- Overuse
- Aging
- Trauma
The trauma-induced cartilage degeneration is often known as post-traumatic arthritis or PTA in short.
Other Hip Conditions & Problems
Osteoarthritis ranks as one of the leading contributors to persistent hip pain in the elderly population. Other reasons are as follows.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: It is a condition characterised by the malfunctioning of the immune system. The body mistakes healthy cells for pathogens like bacteria, fungi and other harmful microbes and initiates defence mechanisms against them. It leads to the death of healthy tissues and chronic inflammation of the joint lining.
Rheumatoid Arthritis affects all joints alike, including the hip.
Osteonecrosis: The blood is crucial for the life of each cell in the body. Therefore, its curtailment leads to bone death. The ball part of the hip collapses completely, leading to structural issues and motion-oriented disabilities.
Deformities: Everyone doesn’t have correct hip parts. Some have to face anatomical abnormalities either right from birth or afterwards due to trauma. There are often problems with the shapes and sizes of the socket and ball of the hip joint when it comes to deformities.
A hip deformity causes impingement and chronic inflammation. Ultimately, it hampers the range of motion partially or completely.
Symptoms
OA causes the following physical discomfort.
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Immobility
These are the most typical symptoms that manifest when someone is suffering from Osteoarthritis.
Pain starts gradually and increases progressively. The situation frequently deteriorates following a long stretch of inactivity, such as in the mornings or while sitting or standing.
Some patients may experience locking discomfort as a result of loose cartilage fragments forming inside the joint. These loose bodies get in the way of smooth hip movements.
Osteoarthritis at the advanced stage causes complete physical disability. The affected person isn’t able to even walk a few steps comfortably. In winter and rainy days, inflammation flares up to make it worse.
Diagnosis
With imaging technologies like X-ray, MRI, and CT scanning, doctors evaluate hip damage, caused by osteoarthritis.
X-rays are effective at imaging hip bones in detail but not soft tissues like the cartilage and labrum. On the other hand, an MRI test is capable of picturing all parts clearly and precisely.
The only limitation of MRI is that it cannot be used on a patient with already a metal implant inside the body. In that case, the technology of CT scanning is put to use.
Before imaging, a medical practitioner can also assess hip joint conditions through physical examination and specific motion-related exercises.
Treatment Options
Osteoarthritis affects people in stages. Some people have joint damage that isn’t that severe and therefore symptoms might range from mild pain to slightly hampered mobility.
However, at the advanced stage, the condition leads to chronic and severe pain. As a result, the mobility gets curtailed maximally. The affected person cannot make use of most of the motion range.
The treatment is determined by a healthcare provider depending on the severity of the condition. Any or all of the following can be thus used for lasting relief and improved quality of life.
Change In Lifestyle: This is a non-pharmacological approach. The patient experiencing hip pain will be advised to make lifestyle changes.
Mainly, it involves eliminating activity that leads to flare-ups and adjusting lifestyle accordingly: to relieve symptoms like pain, stiffness, etc.
However, it is only a temporary treatment option as damaged bones and soft tissues inside the hip joint cannot be treated with any amount of activity modification.
For example, suppose one, suffering from hip osteoarthritis, exercises rigorously. In that case, switching to low-impact exercise techniques will definitely help relieve pain to some point but not completely.
Physiotherapy: It aims at increasing blood circulation and strengthening the muscles around the hip. The objective is achieved with special exercises, massages and stipulation devices.
Assistive Devices: A cane, a walker and crutches are called assistive devices. When any joint below the waist becomes dysfunctional and painful, these are advised to keep the stress off the affected part and make the situation bearable.
Medications: Painkillers and even injections of steroids are introduced to relieve chronic and intense pain.
Hip Replacement Surgery: Some patients’ hip conditions are extremely bad. It has reached the point where even walking a few steps comfortably seems impossible and a highly challenging task.
For such patients only, hip replacement surgery is recommended. The surgery provides lasting relief and helps regain pain-free mobility.
Many patients have a hard time accepting that their joint condition is so bad that they need surgery. However, with the latest technologies, such as robotics and augmented reality, joint replacements are safe and successful.
It is always the best decision to connect with a hip replacement surgery doctor in India. Take the consultation to learn about your hip condition and treatment options.
Conclusion
Hip osteoarthritis is a condition characterized by stiffness, pain, and reduced mobility in the joint. This problem affects people in stages. The condition deteriorates progressively over time.
Finally, hip replacement surgery remains the last option to fix damage and put an end to the debilitating pain and improve joint function and motion.
If you have already undergone a replacement procedure but still hip pain persists, connect with a hip specialist immediately. You might require revision hip replacement surgery in Delhi.