Hip Conditions

Signs and symptoms of hip conditions and injuries depend on the specific problem. Pain is a common symptom. It can spread to your thighs, buttocks, or knees. The pain can be sharp, dull, or achy. Other symptoms include joint stiffness, decreased range of motion, and a popping or locking of the joint. For fractures and dislocations, the pain may be very severe and you may not be able to move or rotate your hip.

Why does my hip hurt?

Causes of hip conditions and injuries also depend on the specific problem. Overuse from repetitive motions can cause hip conditions such as bursitis. Trauma is the usual cause of hip injuries, including dislocations, fractures, and strains. Trauma includes injury from a fall, a direct blow to the hip, sports injuries, and motor vehicle accidents. Chronic problems, such as arthritis, are degenerative conditions of the joint surfaces that develop over time. Osteoporosis — or thin, weak bones — can make hip problems more likely. If your pain is behind the seam of your pants, then this may be a back issue.

Common hip conditions and injuries include:

• Strains
• Fractures and breaks
• Dislocations
• Arthritis

Hip Injury Prevention

• Rest
• Anti-inflammatory medicines
• Modifying activities

Treatment

Will I need surgery?

Hip replacement surgery is very common, especially in older adults. It is a surgical procedure in which the diseased or worn parts of the hip joint are removed and replaced with new, artificial parts. The goals of hip replacement surgery include increasing mobility, improving the function of the hip joint, and relieving pain. There are several types of hip replacement surgery, but the traditional posterior approach currently is the most common, noting that the anterior approach is gaining in popularity in recent years.

At Dignity Health, our experienced orthopedic surgeons use hip surgery to repair a hip problem.

Anterior hip replacement

Anterior hip replacement is a technique that can be used to achieve the same results as the more traditional, or posterior, hip replacement procedure – to replace the worn ends of the bones in the hip joint. The difference with the anterior approach is how and where the surgeon surgically opens to reach the hip joint.

Anterior hip surgery uses the most minimal incision, located on the front of the hip. In this approach, the surgeon is able to move the muscles aside rather than cutting through them. This creates less damage and trauma to the soft issues around the hip, allowing a quicker recovery time. In addition, there is less restriction as well as a lower risk of dislocating the new prosthesis, since the muscles used to support the hip joint have not been surgically disturbed. As with all surgical procedures, recovery time after surgery depends upon the person and varies widely depending on age, activity level, weight.