The hip joint is one of the largest joints in the human body, which enables, among others, efficient movement, but at the same time wears out the fastest. Pain can be a sign of, for example, osteoarthritis, infections or injuries, so it is very important to diagnose it early and implement an appropriate method of treatment as soon as possible.
Hip anatomy in a nutshell
Hip-joint it is primarily responsible for keeping the body upright, shifting the weight of the torso onto the lower limbs and moving them smoothly in different directions. The depression in the pelvis, called the acetabulum, connects to the articular head of the femur to form a spherical hip joint. It is covered with cartilages that reduce friction when moving and allow you to move freely.
Such anatomical structure allows for abduction, adduction, circumference, bending, straightening, as well as internal and external rotational movements. The pond itself is surrounded a joint capsuleand supported by ligaments and muscles.
What are the symptoms of pain in the hip joint?
Hip pain can have several causes. First of all, they are:
- injuries,
- infections,
- dyscopathy,
- systemic diseases,
- tendinitis,
- strains of ligaments and muscles,
- sciatica.
Most often, however, pain in the hip area means osteoarthritis of the hip joint, i.e. irreversible destruction of articular cartilage caused by chronic inflammation. Its wear and tear progresses with age, which is why this ailment mainly affects people over 60, although it sometimes also occurs in XNUMX-year-olds.
Among the causes, apart from age, it includes, inter alia, genetic predisposition, obesity, injuries, inadequate diet, improperly practiced sports, hormonal disorders, insufficient physical activity, office and physical work, rheumatoid diseases. Its most common symptoms are groin and hip pain, initially when moving and then resting, limited range of motion, and joint stiffness. In the advanced stage of the disease, walking may even be completely impossible.
Osteoarthritis of the hip can be treated in several different ways – physical therapy, stem cell therapy, pharmacological therapy, injection of steroids or hyaluronic acid and surgery, i.e. replacing the hip joint with an endoprosthesis. The last method is chosen in cases where moving causes bluish pain, is significantly difficult or impossible.
Endoproteza replaces the damaged joint and takes over all its functions. In most cases, it completely eliminates the pain, but in order to regain full fitness, rehabilitation, a diet that allows you to lose unnecessary kilograms and not overload the new joint. Occasionally the endoprosthesis may become loose, dislocated, damaged or infected. In some cases, it should be replaced every several years.