Hip arthritis is a common condition that causes problems with the ball-and-socket joint at the junction of the pelvis and lower extremity. When arthritis occurs, the normal joint becomes inflamed and painful. There are many different types of arthritis that can cause pain in the hip joint.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of hip arthritis. Also called wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of the cartilage of the joint. As the protective cartilage is worn away by hip arthritis, bare bone is exposed within the joint.
Hip arthritis symptoms tend to progress as the condition worsens. What is interesting about hip arthritis is that symptoms do not always progress steadily with time. Often patients report good months and bad months or symptom changes with weather changes. This is important to understand because comparing the symptoms of hip arthritis on one particular day may not accurately represent the overall progression of the condition.
The most common symptoms of hip arthritis are:
- Pain with activities
- Limited range of motion
- Stiffness of the hip
- Walking with a limp
- Pain in the groin, thigh, or knee
