Osteoarthritis of the Hip Joint
Osteoarthritis [1] is a degenerative disease of the hip joint that is associated with the general aging of the body and usually occurs in people over 50. With wear and tear of the cartilage of the joint, they no longer sufficiently protect the bones of the joint from direct bone contact. Direct bone contact causes pain and inflammation. On an x-ray, there is a narrow line between the bones in a healthy joint, which appears to be empty. This strip is cartilage. In a joint damaged by osteoarthritis, the bones are close to each other on an X-ray, and there is no “empty” line between them. Osteoarthritis [2] can be caused not only by the natural aging process but also by overloading the joints (at work, during sports, or due to being overweight), arthritis, and genetic predisposition. One of the first signs of osteoarthritis is the loss of the ability to rotate the hip joint. Pain on movement, stiffness in the hip joint, and lameness are added to the symptoms. The intensity of symptoms can vary, sometimes there is a feeling of complete recovery, and at times – very pronounced disorders. Osteoarthritis does not go away, but you can limit the development of this disease and maximize your quality of life. To do this, you need to take care of your weight, under the supervision of a physiotherapist and regularly do sets of exercises to strengthen the ligaments and muscles of the hip joint, protect the hip joint from heavy loads, and also take anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs after consulting a doctor. In some cases, arthroplasty of the hip joint may be required.