Hip

Hip osteoarthritis

Mechanism: Loss of articular cartilage with a reaction of the underlying bone and the capsule. It is not wear from use but an active process of the whole joint, in which load, predisposition and inflammation all play a part.
Recognition: Start-up pain and stiffness after rest resolving within half an hour, groin pain radiating to the knee, and the capsular pattern of the hip: internal rotation limited first and most.
Course: Pain and radiographic findings correlate weakly: people with marked changes on the film may have few complaints and vice versa. Exercise therapy and education are the basic treatment, regardless of what the film shows.

Structures