Hip Injuries

While we may not think about our hips to the same degree as we do with other parts of our body, we do depend upon them throughout each day. These joints are formed by a ball-and-socket and are located where the pelvis meets the thigh bone – which is also called the femur.

Our hips are designed to tolerate repeated motion, which is beneficial since we rely upon them frequently for many normal activities such as walking. This is particularly true if we exercise or involve ourselves in any recreational activities on a regular basis. Your joints can usually handle this usage because they contain cartilage, which softens the friction that can occur when the hip bones are moving inside their sockets. However, even though we are fortunate to have these built-in cushions, the hip joints can still develop problems due to the ongoing wear and tear.

Arthritis, Tendonitis, And Labral Tears

In fact, most injuries that do occur with your hips are the result of overuse from making the same motions too frequently. If you repeat the same activity too often, an inflammation can develop. This will cause pain, and keep your hip from functioning normally. One frequent cause of repetitive use can be strains in your muscles or tendons in the hip area. You can also find yourself contending with tendonitis, which involves bands of tissue the connect our muscles to our bones. If inflammation occurs in our tendons, this is yet another example of a health issue that is caused by repetitive motion that eventually becomes overuse.

Sometimes you can encounter an inflammation of the hip joint due to arthritis, which tends to develop with older adults. Rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the two most common causes of hip pain when we reach an older age. People who are dealing with arthritis will be faced with a reduced range of motion in their hip, and will also feel stiffness.

Hip pain can be the result of a hip labral tear. This involves the labrum, which is a ring of cartilage that is located on the outside rim of your hip joint socket. Your labrum keeps the ball at the top of your thigh bone firmly in your hip socket. Once again, the culprit of this injury is often the result of recurring motion and is more likely to take place if you participate in contact sports such as football or lacrosse, or other activities such as softball, golf or gymnastics.

Bursitis

Sometimes hip injuries are due to bursitis. This involves bursae, which are the sacs of liquid that are located between the tissues bones muscles and tendons. While these bursa sacs minimize the friction from are tissues rubbing together, they can sometimes get inflamed which will cause pain. And inflammation of bursa is similar to nearly every other injury that has been discussed so far in that repetitive activity is usually the cause.

Fractures And Dislocations

Unfortunately, some hit hip injuries are also due to fractures. The potential for this to occur increases with age, as bones lose strength and become more brittle as the year’s progress with all of us. Any bones that gradually become weak are also more likely to break during a fall. It is essential to avoid falling if at all possible. But if you do, here are some complications to be aware of after a fall occurs.

• Blood clots, either in your legs or in your lungs
• Pneumonia
• Urinary tract infection
• Bedsores
• Loss of your muscle mass, which increases your risk of another fall

Treatments

Sometimes anti-inflammatory prescriptions are used to treat a number of conditions that were previously mentioned. This includes strains, tendonitis, osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. In some situations, ice or heat will be recommended. In other cases, a warm bath can sooth hip pain, while stretching, low-impact exercise and resistance training can also decrease pain, while also improving your mobility.

Orthopedic Associates Can Help With These Conditions

These are some reasons why you, or someone that you know, may be experiencing pain in your hip. Some problems are more serious than others, and it is important to determine what is causing your discomfort. Fortunately, our specialists at Orthopedic Associates treat a wide range of hip conditions and are available to diagnose what is creating the problem in your hip.

The specialists at Orthopedic Associates are available to assist you with a wide range of hip conditions including:

• Anatomy of the Hip Joint
• Avascular Necrosis (AVN) of the Hip
• Bursitis of the Hip (Trochanteric Bursitis)
• Degenerative Joint Disease of the Hip (Osteoarthritis of the Hip)
• Femoral Fractures
• Femoral-Acetabular Impingement (FAI)
• Hamstring Muscle Injuries
• Hip Dislocation
• Hip Fracture/Prevention
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS)
• Inflammatory Arthritis of the Hip
• Labral Tears of the Hip
• Loose Bodies in the Hip
• Muscle Strain Injuries of the Hip
• Osteoarthritis of the Hip
• Osteomyelitis
• Pediatric Femoral Fractures
• Perthes Disease
• Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE)
• Snapping Hip Syndrome
• Sports Hernia
• Transient Osteoporosis of the Hip

Orthopedic Associates Offers These Treatments

Our orthopedic specialists are also highly experienced in performing multiple types of treatments and surgeries for the hip including:

• Absorbable Antibiotic Bead Treatment for Osteomyelitis
• Anesthesia
• Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoral-Acetabular Impingement (FAI)
• Bone Cement Injection
• Bone Density Scan (DXA or DEXA)
• Cold Laser Therapy
• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
• Computer-Assisted Hip Replacement Surgery
• Core Decompression for Avascular Necrosis of the Hip
• Femur Fracture Fixation
• Fluoroscopic Guided Hip Injection
• Hip Arthroscopy
• Hip Fracture Treatment with Surgical Screws
• Hip Hemiarthroplasty (Bipolar/Unipolar)
• Internal Screw Fixation for Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE)
• Large Bearing Metal-On-Metal Mini Total Hip
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
• Mini Total Hip Replacement
• Osteoporosis Screening
• Periacetabular Osteotomy
• Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection Ove
• Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
• Revision Hip Surgery
• Stem Cell Therapy for Avascular Necrosis of the Hip
• Surgical Dislocation and Debridement for FAI
• Total Hip Replacement
• Total/Partial Hip Resurfacing
• Ultrasound-Guided Ilioinguinal Nerve Block

If you are experiencing a problem with your hip, we encourage you to visit one of Orthopedic Associates’ two locations or request an appointment today. We will help guide you down the path of feeling better.

Also, it is important for you to seek immediate attention if:

• Your pain occurred suddenly
• You have an injury from a fall
• Your pain is intense
• You heard a popping noise when you fell
• Your joint is bleeding or looks abnormal
• You can’t move your leg or hip
• You can’t place weight on your hip