Hip Arthritis

Common in older patients over 60 years of age, hip arthritis occurs when there is a loss of cartilage causing affected bones to rub together without the necessary cushioning. The constant wearing down on the bone then results in pain, tenderness, swelling, and/or inflammation that affects hip movement and mobility. 

The types of hip arthritis include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory arthritis. Osteoarthritis typically occurs in weight-bearing joints such as the hip. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder which is caused by the immune system attacking healthy tissue, such as the lining of your hip joint. Ankylosing spondylitis is also an inflammatory disease that can lead to fusion of the spinal joints (vertebrae). Psoriatic arthritis is a type of inflammatory arthritis which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. Lastly, inflammatory arthritis is caused by an overactive immune system, affecting multiple joints at the same time.

Non-surgically, patients can utilize a conservative treatment program such as weight loss, physical therapy, low impact activities, medication (acetaminophen, Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) corticosteroids or cortisone, image-guided steroid injections), biologic treatments, like Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections, and stem cell injections. If symptoms still persist, however, patients may be advised of hip replacement surgery or hip arthroplasty.