Hip joint arthrosis – symptoms, causes and treatment options
Coxarthrosis: osteoarthritis in the hip joint
The hip joint is osteoarthritis especially in the elderly one of the most common are osteoarthritis, the damage to the cartilage of the hip joint tissue degenerate. Quite different causes may be for this so-called Coxarthrosis, is responsible. Part of the prevention and treatment is to minimize precipitating factors, such as Obesity and Overloading. The hip arthritis is advanced but already strong and very painful, may be an Operation and, where appropriate, the Insertion of an artificial hip joint is advisable.
Table of contents
- Primary Causes
- Secondary Causes
A brief Overview
Osteoarthritis in the hip joint is a common disease in the elderly, but even at a young age can occur for a Coxarthrosis and discomfort. Read the following summary of the most important facts and you will learn in the following article to find out more about this often defendants Suffer.
- Definition: A hip joint osteoarthritis (also Coxarthrosis called) manifested by damage and wear and tear of the cartilage tissue. In the further course of the disease, other structures of the hip joint from osteoarthritis damage.
- Symptoms: In the first line occur hip pain with motion and load restrictions go hand in hand and in the advanced stage of the gait impact.
- Causes: The causes are still not fully understood and subject of current research. Many pre-existing conditions, injuries or Overloading of the joints are accepted as the triggering factors, and also genetic predispositions. Probably complex relationships decide about the formation of a Coxarthrosis.
- Diagnosis: Each of the orthopedic examination, by special radiological procedures, together with osteoarthritis, safe to determine. Most x-ray photos in order to make a secure diagnosis and to determine the severity.
- Prevention: About modifiable risk factors can be a occurrence or deterioration of the hip joint osteoarthritis were designed to prevent. This includes, among other things, the weight optimization, moderate exercise and stress, as well as physiotherapy count.
- Treatment: the preventative measures and drug therapy for the treatment of pain is not, a surgery and a joint replacement by endoprosthesis is be necessary.
- Naturopathic treatment: there are Various alternative measures in the treatment of Coxarthrosis support, such as acupuncture, hydro-therapy or magnetic field therapy.
Definition
Under a hip joint osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the hip joint. Here, the term refers in the first instance for signs of wear and damage to the cartilage tissue. In the advanced stage of the disease, pathological changes to the articular capsule of the hip bone, and other surrounding structures (muscles, connective tissue), but also sick.
The so-called Coxarthrosis (also osteoarthritis) is one of the most common osteoarthritis. In Germany, approximately five percent of the population are diagnosed over the age of sixty years at this joint disease.
Symptoms
Typical complaints of hip pain, especially under stress. Most of the time the pain mostly after getting Up and in the first movements, as well as in the evening hours. In between can be used depending on the severity and strain of the situation also complaint-free periods or phases with only mild discomfort. In General, the complaints in the course of the disease are steadily increasing, however, there may be always a push-like deterioration.
Suffering Affected under permanent (strong) hip pain or even discomfort during periods of rest (e.g. at night), osteoarthritis is the in a late stage.
What exactly caused the pain, is not clear. In question, not only the actual degeneracy of the structures in the hip joint, but also pain symptoms a result of causes such as, for example, a muscle hardening will come of it. Accordingly, the cross can pain, back pain or groin pain to be added.
The arthritis is already advanced, it can also cause restricted movement in the hip joint, the change of the gait pattern.
Causes
Quite different causes may be a Coxarthrosis and conditions. Part of the emergence of but in the disease remain unclear. The General division between the primary and secondary contingent forms of osteoarthritis is still largely. Often not is but understandable, whether or not the primary about an inferior quality of the cartilage tissue is responsible for the disease or secondary causes of various congenital or acquired diseases, as well as (joint) injuries are based on.
Other concepts, however, now that it is a very complex disease process with many unknown factors leads to the harmful developments at the hip joint. It is believed that the disease-causing circumstances, various repair mechanisms, which can compensate to a certain degree of damage. Ultimately, this imbalance between the damage and its compensation is justified, then the development of osteoarthritis in the hip joint. The actual stress or this Degeneration exceeds, then the individual repair and load capacity.
Primary Causes
No clear cause or trigger for the onset of osteoarthritis can be found, one speaks often of a primary (idiopathic) arthritis of the Hip. Usually this is on both sides and occurs especially from the age of about fifty years. It is believed that through the natural processes of aging related disorders of the joint(cartilage) abrasion develop, which can be, at most, with a (congenital) under-nutrition of the cartilage, or of a less compensatory quality of the cartilage in.
Cartilage tissue has vessels no blood. The food is effected by the fluid between the cells (interstitial fluid). The composition of the liquid is not optimal, for instance due to a poor metabolism in the organism, a low intake of nutrients or a disturbed flow, this can have an impact on the quality of the cartilage.
Secondary Causes
Joint damage and underlying conditions that occur in childhood, are often regarded as causes, especially in the case of hip joint arthrosis of the well before the fiftieth year, and often one-sided encounter. The following symptoms are associated with secondary Coxarthrosis, in the context of:
- Trauma (acetabular fracture) and severe accidents (post-traumatic arthritis of the Hip),
- Congenital or acquired failure of the hip such as hip dysplasia, hip dislocation or acetabular deformity forms,
- Hip disorders (in children and adolescents), such as femoral head necrosis (Perthes disease), or femoral head solution (slipped capital femoral epiphysis),
- Obesity (a cause of accelerated joint wear and tear),
- Metabolic diseases,
- Circulatory disorders,
- inflammatory or rheumatic diseases of the hip joint,
- Infections of the bone (hematogenous Osteomyelitis, septic Arthritis).
Furthermore, an excessive load, such as through performance, sports, or otherwise related to strong physical efforts, and in turn, an extreme lack of exercise are among the predisposing factors.
Diagnosis
Affected with a Hüftleiden will find in most of the cases seek medical advice in an Orthopedic practice. Here is a history and clinical investigations and then, first of all, the focus on the pain, symptoms and limitations in agility and resilience.
Since in addition to arthritis, many other diseases and injuries to the hip or even in the areas of the lumbar spine, and can cause similar symptoms, is an x-ray diagnosis are essential. Special recording techniques allow for a good representation of the typical radiological signs. For hedging are often included images of thigh and hip, but also from the entire basin and other adjacent bone structures.
By means of the x-ray images of systems based on different classification the present severity set. Most of the Score is used to Kellgren and Lawrence, which is different from grade 0 (no Osteoarthritis) to grade 4 (severe osteoarthritis).
There is a discrepancy between the clinical and radiological Findings, get further investigations and other diagnostic imaging procedures.
Prevention
To the formation of new bad hip arthritis prevent it is to reduce modifiable risk factors, and in the best case, turn it off. These include early treatment of congenital or acquired malformations of the hip or other triggering diseases and the avoidance of Overload (for example by being Overweight or harmful activities in work and leisure) count.
Osteoarthritis in the early stage is already available, should be taken certain precautions, to a deterioration in counter. The optimization or reduction of body weight and regular, moderate physical activity. In some cases, it may be useful, joint is obtained to conduct operations.
Is the arthritis of the Hip, traveled the main focus is advanced on the prevention of consequential damage.
Treatment
In order to alleviate existing complaints, and to receive long-term joint function, are first of all conservative treatment methods before surgery, consideration should be given to. In this case, the individual advice comes to behavior in everyday life, regarding physical strain and movement as well as weight reduction, a important importance. A change in Diet and light kinds of sports (for example Cycling, walking, Swimming or water gymnastics) have a very positive effect. Also specific exercise units (physiotherapy) will not be drawn rarely.
In addition, various pain used relieving and anti-inflammatory drugs. The use of special hip orthoses on lighter degrees of severity, it is not recommended uniformly, but is also a possible treatment option.
Also, physical therapy (heat and cold applications, ultrasound and electro – therapy) can help to relieve the discomfort.
These measures are not enough, surgery might be useful. To determine the correct time for surgical intervention is not always easy. The conservative approach should always be for a few months, but up to the end-stage of the disease should not be awaited.
For the application of different methods of operation, in which either the joint is corrected or completely removed, and by means of an endoprosthesis is replaced come. A further option is joint fusion represents. The endoprosthetic hip replacement (artificial hip joint) is one of the most successful method for treatment of advanced osteoarthritis, and offers the Affected person a good chance to improve their quality of life significantly.
Naturopathic Treatment
In addition to the classic, Orthodox medical treatment options, there are also other ways to treat osteoarthritis, wherein the effectiveness of the various methods and means are not used.
Cheap-can-acupuncture and hydrotherapy, or balneotherapy have an impact on the healing process. The pulsating magnetic field therapy may have an impact on arthritis discomfort positive.
More controversial is the use of food supplements will be discussed for cartilage regeneration. Thus, the therapeutic efficacy of glucosamine and Chondroitin is considered to be very questionable. For some years this cartilage-building funds must not be advertised therefore as such. Similarly critical is the intra-seen-articular injections of hyaluronic acid.
Anyone who is interested in self-help in osteoarthritis, the 2018 published guide by Dr. Andrea had recommended Flemmer. This reading provides some comprehensive information on the possibilities of phytotherapy, such as applications of devil’s claw and stinging nettle.
Current State Of Research
The people disease osteoarthritis is the subject of current research, especially with regard to the causes and treatment options. Recently, a research group has discovered several specific genetic changes in the genome, with a higher disease risk for osteoarthritis with. The results of the in Nature Genetics published study also provide insights to new treatment options in the therapy of osteoarthritis. (tf, cs)