Osteoarthritis of the Hip (Hip Arthritis): "Degenerative Joint Disease" can cause pain, stiffness, and cartilage breakdown
Edited By: Seth S. Leopold, M.D.
Last updated Friday, January 18, 2008
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Prognosis and impacts
How serious is hip arthritis? Is hip arthritis chronic?
Osteoarthritis of the hip is a serious condition.
Osteoarthritis is the most common of the more than 100 kinds of arthritis, and
the hip joint is the second most commonly affected large joint in the body.
Osteoarthritis of the hip results in pain, stiffness, and
joint deformity, which can affect one’s ability to walk, work, and enjoy life.
It
is a chronic disease, meaning that it takes months to years to appear; while it
is not “curable,” it most certainly is treatable, using activity modifications,
medications, injections, and if those interventions don’t work, hip replacement
surgery often will relieve the pain associate with hip arthritis.Is hip arthritis deadly?
Osteoarthritis of the hip is not deadly.Will hip arthritis cause pain?
Osteoarthritis of the hip indeed can, and usually does,
cause pain. Other symptoms include swelling, stiffness, sometimes warmth, and
joint deformity.
The
typical pain from hip arthritis is located in the groin, thigh, or buttock; the
pain is generally worse with weight bearing (walking, standing) or twisting.Will hip arthritis be debilitating?
Osteoarthritis of the hip is progressive, and when it
becomes severe, it indeed can severely affect one’s ability to walk, climb
stairs, enter or exit a vehicle, sit or arise comfortably, engage in sexual
intercourse, and enjoy one’s day-to-day activities.Will hip arthritis cause discomfort?
Osteoarthritis of the hip indeed can, and usually does,
cause pain and discomfort. Other symptoms include swelling, stiffness, and
joint deformity.
The
typical pain from hip arthritis is located in the groin, thigh, or buttock; the
pain is generally worse with weight bearing (walking, standing) or twisting.Is hip arthritis curable?
However, while it is not “curable,” it most certainly is
treatable, using activity modifications, medications, injections, and if those
interventions don’t work, hip replacement surgery often will relieve the pain associated with hip arthritis.Will hip arthritis change the patient?s ability to have children or get pregnant?
Osteoarthritis of the hip can cause sexual intercourse
to be uncomfortable in some patients. However, apart from that, it will not
affect a patient’s ability to get pregnant or have children. It is important to
note, though, that some medications used to treat arthritis need to be used
with care (or not at all) during a pregnancy. It is important to inform one’s
obstetrician and family physician about all medications and nutritional
supplements that one takes.Will hip arthritis change the patient's independence?
Osteoarthritis of the hip indeed can affect one’s
ability to walk, climb stairs, enter or exit a vehicle, and enjoy one’s
day-to-day activities. These things do affect one’s ability to remain
independent, particularly as the disease reaches its more severe stages.Will hip arthritis change the patient's ability to move about?
When osteoarthritis of the hip becomes severe, it
indeed can severely affect one’s ability to walk, climb stairs, sit or arise
comfortably, and enter or exit a vehicle.Will hip arthritis alter activities of daily living (e.g. work, sports, housework, etc.)?
Osteoarthritis of the hip can affect one’s ability to
walk, climb stairs, enter or exit a vehicle, sit or arise comfortably, perform
housework and enjoy one’s day-to-day activities.
Even mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the hip can
adversely impact athletic performance and enjoyment of sports, particularly
impact sports and sports that involve running.
Although
there is little “hard science” on this point, most hip surgeons and
rheumatologists (doctors who treat arthritic conditions non-operatively)
believe that patients with osteoarthritis of the hip should consider avoiding
impact sports such as running in order to avoid increasing the rate at which
the disease progresses.Will hip arthritis cause fatigue or changes in metabolism?
Many patients indeed find that the chronic pain associated
with osteoarthritis of the hip does contribute to fatigue.
Osteoarthritis of the hip does not affect metabolism, but
some patients attribute weight gain to the inactivity that results from the hip
pain caused by osteoarthritis of the hip.
It
is important that patients with osteoarthritis of the hip avoid decreasing
their activity level, and it is important that they remain fit. However, this
often does require some modification of exercise programs – running and walking
programs are usually poorly tolerated by (and not recommended for) patients
with osteoarthritis of the hip. Stationary bike, swimming, and water aerobics
usually are well-tolerated and they are recommended.Will hip arthritis require a change in diet?
Diets do not cure or treat osteoarthritis so far as we
know. However, it is important to try to avoid weight gain when one has
osteoarthritis of the hip, as increased body weight is associated with
worsening of symptoms.Will hip arthritis have implications for relationships, social support, and interactions with family?
Osteoarthritis of the hip can affect relationships and
social interactions to the extent that it makes getting around more difficult.
In some patients with more severe hip arthritis, sexual intercourse can be
uncomfortable because of the pain associated with moving the hips that
accompanies the condition.What other impacts might hip arthritis have on the patient's life? Is it contagious, disfiguring, etc.?
Osteoarthritis of the hip is not contagious, and doesn’t
predispose one to other diseases or conditions.
Osteoarthritis
of the hip is associated with joint deformity that sometimes results in a
leg-length inequality. These joint deformities, including leg-length
inequality, are not readily managed by interventions other than surgery, but
can be sometimes be corrected at the time of hip replacement for patients who
elect to have that surgery. Shoe lifts can help patients before surgery who
have leg-length inequalities, and they are sometimes used if the leg length
cannot be made equal at the time of hip replacement
surgery often will relieve the pain associate with hip arthritis.
Surgery for hip arthritis at the University of Washington, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Seattle, Washington
If you are interested in making an appointment to discuss this procedure in Seattle, you can request an appointment using our online referrals website. To request a referral online, please click here. You can also call the Bone & Joint Surgery Center at 206-598-BONE (2663) or Eastside Specialty Clinic at 425-646-7777 to make an appointment. Our clinical center is located in Seattle Washington, USA
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