Preserve Your Hip Now To Avoid Replacing It Later

Most hip replacements are prompted by severe cases of osteoarthritis, a disease that damages the cartilage that cushions the joint. When the hip joint reaches that point, a replacement is often the only solution.

But for younger people with hip injuries that have not yet led to arthritis, it is often possible to prevent the eventual need for a replacement. Hip preservation aims to treat the underlying problems in the hip before the damage becomes irreversible.

To understand how hip preservation comes into play, first consider the progression of osteoarthritis.

‘Wear and Tear’ Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is sometimes referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis. It is a common condition that slowly breaks down one or more joints in your body – often in the hands, back, knees and hips.

While it’s commonly found in people over the age of 50, it’s not considered a regular part of aging. Instead, there are several factors that can increase your risk for developing osteoarthritis later in life. These include:

• Repetitive stress or injury to a joint
• Obesity
• Family members with the disease
• Women are more likely to develop the disease

Over time, osteoarthritis gradually wears away the cartilage that covers the bone surfaces found in the hip joint. When that protective surface becomes frayed, the joint loses the cushion that keeps those bones from rubbing against each other. The disease can cause significant discomfort, pain and disability.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for osteoarthritis. Instead, strategies focus on managing symptoms and pain. Eventually, surgical replacement of the hip may be needed.

But for some people, there is an opportunity to treat a troublesome hip joint before arthritis has a chance to develop.

Avoiding Trouble

The best candidates for hip preservation techniques are younger people (30 years or younger) with hip problems that are often related to trauma, sports injuries or structural problems from birth.

Among the more common hip problems:

Labral tear: This is a tear in the ring of cartilage in your hip that acts as a gasket that keeps the ball at the top of your thigh bone securely positioned against the hip socket. Injuries to this labrum are common among athletes who play football, soccer and golf. Other causes include trauma (car accidents, for example) and structural issues from birth. Symptoms include:

• Pain in the hip or groin, which may become worse while standing for long periods or athletic activities
• Clicking or catching sensation in the hip
• Limited range of motion
• Stiffness

Hip impingement: This condition involves painful rubbing inside your hip joint because the bones don’t fit together as they should. The impingement is caused by a bone spur – an abnormal growth on the bone. You may be born with a bone spur, or it may develop over time. Bone spurs are more common among athletes who play sports that put a lot of pressure on the hip. Symptoms include:

• Pain
• Stiffness
• Limping or trouble moving

When a younger person is having hip pain, the goal is to identify the source of the trouble before it has a chance to become life-altering. Labral tears, hip impingement and other issues all have the potential to lead to arthritis.

Recognition Is Critical

For some patients, these injuries or defects can be solved with procedures that are less invasive than total hip replacements. Repairs are often accomplished with minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures requiring only small surgical incisions.

There is a challenge when dealing with younger people, who tend to associate hip problems with their grandparents or old people. As a result, they often ignore their own symptoms and resulting injuries (groin pulls, for example) or write them off as bad luck.

Young athletes need to be more aware of the potential for hip problems and the value of seeking medical attention when symptoms arise. Doing this could erase the need for a hip replacement many years down the road.