Hip osteoarthritis is a very common problem which mainly affects people of middle age and up. The exact cause is unknown. However, the onset of hip osteoarthritis has been associated with many factors, including:
- Increased body weight
- Age
- Previous trauma, operations or significant injuries e.g. a fracture/break to the hip joint
- Poor biomechanics and muscle weakness
- Previous injury or trauma and prolonged periods of inappropriate pressure on a joint
- Congenital or genetic issues such as hip dysplasia
- Sports and jobs that bear excessive load on the joint over many years
The hip joint is a ‘ball and socket’ joint and is surrounded by a joint capsule and ligaments. Osteoarthritis mainly affects the cartilage at the ends of the bone (see image below). This cartilage is called hyaline cartilage and can be found on the end of the femur (ball) and the acetabulum (socket). The cartilage provides smooth, friction-free movement between the bones and acts as a shock absorber.