Hip Arthritis

"Hip arthritis" covers several different conditions that damage the joint in different ways. The most common, and the one this page focuses on, is osteoarthritis (OA), the slow, mechanical wearing-out of the cartilage that cushions the joint. It is distinct from rheumatoid arthritis (where the immune system attacks the joint lining), post-traumatic arthritis (cartilage loss after a fracture, dislocation, or untreated hip impingement), and avascular necrosis (where a segment of bone loses its blood supply and collapses). Rheumatoid arthritis is managed by a rheumatologist; post-traumatic arthritis and avascular necrosis are treated much the same way as ordinary osteoarthritis once the damage has developed. If there is any question about which type you have, bloodwork and imaging will sort it out.

Hip osteoarthritis is the slow wearing-out of the cartilage that lines the ball-and-socket joint of the hip, the rounded head of the femur and the matching surface of the acetabulum, the socket in the pelvis. Cartilage is a smooth, almost frictionless tissue, but it has no blood supply and cannot repair itself. Once it thins, the bone underneath begins to carry more load than it was designed for, inflammation sets in, and the joint margins grow small bone spurs called osteophytes. The practical experience is groin or front-of-thigh pain that becomes stiffer with rest and achier with use.

Most hip osteoarthritis is primary, the cumulative product of time, genetics, and body weight. Secondary osteoarthritis follows an earlier event: a childhood hip disorder such as developmental dysplasia; a fracture that entered the joint; avascular necrosis, in which a segment of bone loses its blood supply; or untreated femoroacetabular impingement. Every pound of body weight translates to roughly three pounds of force across the hip while walking, which is why weight and cartilage health are tightly linked.

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball at the top of your femur sits deep inside the cup-shaped socket of your pelvis, kept stable by the labrum (a cartilage rim around the socket), the joint capsule, and surrounding ligaments. The cartilage that lines the joint surfaces has no blood supply of its own, so it cannot repair itself once it is worn down. In arthritis, the maintenance of cartilage tips toward breakdown: it gradually thins out. Carrying extra weight, leftover deformity from childhood hip problems, or a previous injury speed the process; inflammation in the joint lining amplifies the pain even when the X-ray changes look mild.

• Groin or front-of-thigh pain, the most common location; you may also feel it on the side of the hip or in the buttock
• Morning stiffness that improves within 30 minutes of moving, then recurs after prolonged sitting
• Startup pain with the first steps after rising, briefly improving before returning with extended walking
• Loss of range of motion, most noticeable when putting on shoes and socks, crossing legs, or getting in and out of a car
• Night pain and intolerance of sleeping on the affected side as the disease progresses

The diagnosis comes from the exam plus X-rays. Your surgeon will examine the hip, checking how it moves and which positions reproduce your groin pain, to tell whether the joint itself is the source. Standing X-rays of the pelvis and hip show the classic features of arthritis: narrowing of the space between the bones, hardening of the bone underneath the cartilage, small fluid-filled cysts in that bone, and bone spurs at the joint margins. X-rays taken lying down tend to underestimate how much cartilage is actually gone.

MRI is not required for typical OA and is reserved for suspicion of avascular necrosis, a hidden fracture, or a labral problem in a younger patient. Blood tests are added only when a different kind of arthritis, such as an inflammatory or gout-type cause, is being considered.

The first goal of treatment is to make the hip comfortable enough to keep using it. A stepwise plan built on exercise, weight management, and oral analgesics relieves symptoms for many patients and delays, sometimes indefinitely, the need for surgery.

1. Corticosteroid Injection

   A cortisone injection placed in the hip joint under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance can provide meaningful relief and is useful as a bridge to therapy gains or a planned surgery. It is not a durable solution; repeated frequent injections are avoided.

2. Assistive Devices

   A cane held in the hand opposite the painful hip unloads the joint by up to 25% and often allows longer, more comfortable walking.

3. Biologic injections (PRP)

   Platelet-rich plasma is prepared from your own blood and injected into the joint. Evidence in the hip is limited, and it is offered only after standard options have been tried. PRP is not covered by insurance and is offered at a flat self-pay rate.

Surgery is considered when nonoperative care is no longer sufficient, pain limits sleep, daily activities, or work; medication dependence is increasing; or function has declined despite structured therapy. Total hip replacement is among the most successful operations in medicine, with more than 95% of implants still in place and working well a decade after surgery.

Recovery after hip replacement moves through predictable phases, but the pace is individual. Early on, the focus is on walking short distances, managing swelling, and regaining hip motion with an assistive device. The middle phase adds strengthening, particularly the hip abductors, and weans the assistive device as balance and gait normalize. The final phase is a gradual return to everyday activity and low-impact recreation once pain and strength allow.

Return to driving, desk work, and physical labor is determined by your progress, not by a calendar. A short course of blood-thinning medication after surgery is standard to prevent blood clots in the legs. Your OSI provider sets activity targets at each visit based on what your hip is actually ready for.

External patient-education references and related OSI pages for additional background:

• AAOS OrthoInfo, patient education library
• OSI glossary, orthopedic terminology in plain language