Osteoarthritis of the Hip Joint
Osteoarthritis (OA) refers to the progressive degeneration of a joint. In the hip, OA refers to the degeneration of the articular (joint) cartilage of the femoral head (ball) or acetabulum (hip socket) and may be either primary or secondary.
● Primary OA is progressive degeneration due to aging, typically caused by the accumulation of repetitive microtrauma to the joint over many years. It typically presents in a middle-aged or elderly individual as hip, buttock, groin or knee pain of a gradual onset with increasing stiffness.
● Secondary OA is more common and is secondary to another disease or condition such as obesity, congenital abnormality, repetitive trauma, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and other hormone disorders. Secondary OA presents similarly to primary OA with a history of trauma or other causative disease or condition.