Expert Diagnosis & Treatment of Hip Pain

Common Causes of Hip Pain

Arthritis is the most common cause of hip pain, especially osteoarthritis (OA), which is the breakdown of cartilage in the joints. Studies have shown that 70-90 percent of hip arthritis cases are due to hip dysplasia or femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) – an increasingly common hip disorder that leads to cartilage damage in the hip socket and eventually arthritis of the hip.

Advanced Diagnostic Tests for Hip Joint Problems

Understanding the cause of hip discomfort or lack of mobility requires imaging tests of the joint, including X-rays of the hip and pelvis. If you and your surgeon decide surgery is the best treatment course, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan with contrast will be performed so the surgeon can better see all the joint’s ligaments and cartilage.

A computed tomography (CT) imaging scan may also be performed. With some hip conditions, a three-dimensional-reconstruction CT scan is often necessary. The three-dimensional perspective is created on the CT equipment by taking multiple images of the hip in different locations.

The surgeon and radiologist will study the images from all your tests to confirm a diagnosis and develop a customized treatment plan.

Nonsurgical Treatments For Hip Pain

Patients with hip-joint pain or lack of movement don’t always need joint replacement surgery. Our highly-qualified team of orthopedists, sports medicine doctors, physical therapists and other providers will often first recommend a conservative plan of care that may include:

• Activity modification. Assessment of functional or activity issues, including avoiding actions that may cause increased pain or additional symptoms.
• Medication. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications can reduce inflammation and pain.
• Physical therapy. For strengthening and increasing range of motion, hip exercises to build muscle and ease stress on the cartilage and bone.
• Injections. Cortisone or platelet-rich plasma injections may be used to provide temporary hip pain relief.

Surgical Repair of the Hip Joint

Patients who do not achieve adequate relief from their hip pain with conservative measures, may be candidates for hip arthroscopy surgery.

This highly effective, minimally invasive procedure uses incisions of no more than two to three millimeters and a tiny camera to visualize and repair the hip joint. When compared to total joint replacement, hip arthroscopy can result in less pain, a faster recovery and a higher level of functioning after surgery. The procedure has also been shown to prevent or delay the development of hip arthritis.

The fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons at University Hospitals are among the most experienced and skilled in the nation in performing hip-preserving, minimally invasive arthroscopy procedures, averaging more than 300 such surgeries each year.

Some patients with a certain type of dysplasia or complex rotation deformities may require a different type of surgery called open hip osteotomy.