Hip arthritis is a disease that wears away the cartilage (a tough, elastic connective tissue) between the femoral (thighbone) head and the acetabulum (hipbone socket), resulting in the two bones scraping against each other and the joint becoming pitted and eroded, which causes hip pain, stiffness, instability and greatly restricted leg motion. There are two kinds of hip arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis of the hip.
Hip osteoarthritis, commonly known as “wear and tear” arthritis, in many cases occurs when the hip simply wears out, although the cartilage deteriorating process may accelerate in persons with a previous hip injury. Some experts believe there may be a genetic predisposition, while abnormalities of the hip due to childhood disorders may also lead to a degenerative hip. Hip osteoarthritis is the most known cause for hip replacement total surgery.
The common symptom of osteoarthritis is pain in the hip or groin during weight-bearing activities, such as walking. As a result of the cartilage degeneration, the hip loses its flexibility and strength and may create bone spurs or bony projections. As the condition worsens, the pain may be present all the time, even during non weight-bearing activities.
Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in joint pain, stiffness and swelling. The disease process leads to severe and at times rapid, deterioration of multiple joints, resulting in severe pain and loss of function. Although the exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, some experts believe that a virus or bacteria may trigger the disease in people having a genetic predisposition to rheumatoid arthritis. Many doctors think rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the synovial or lubricating tissue of the joint is attacked by one’s own immune system.
The primary symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain, swelling and the loss of motion. Other symptoms are loss of appetite, fever, energy loss, anemia and rheumatoid nodules (lumps of tissue under the skin). People suffering with rheumatoid arthritis commonly have periods of “flare ups” when multiple joints may be painful and stiff.
There exist a number of non-surgical alternatives to hip replacement total surgery. If all these non-surgical measures have been exhausted and the orthopedist recommends surgical intervention, total hip replacement or hip resurfacing can be very successful in decreasing pain and greatly improving function.