Hip arthritis may require surgery

By Kim Pil-Sung

People usually consider arthritis to occur in the knee or shoulder joints.

However, the hip joint can also be subject to arthritis like any other joint. There are several types of hip arthritis: degenerative due to joint aging or trauma, rheumatoid, suppurative, and tubercular.

When hip arthritis occurs, patients experience pain in the region and discomfort in their daily life due to a limitation of the range of motion.

There is extra weight placed onto the hip, especially while walking, which exacerbates pain and causes the sufferer to limp.

When non-surgical treatment is ineffective, minimally invasive hip joint replacement surgery or hip arthroscopy is recommended.

In the early stage of hip joint arthritis, non-surgical treatment such as medication and exercise treatments are preferentially employed.

In the case of suppurative arthritis or tubercular arthritis, antituberculous medications are injected, and many cases symptoms require washing the joint through a surgical approach.

In the case of degenerative arthritis, the symptoms develop gradually; people miss the disease without realizing they have it.

Once degenerative arthritis develops and non-surgical methods do not improve the symptoms, then hip joint replacement should be considered.

This surgical method is one of the most commonly used, and the recently introduced minimally invasive technique allows for minimal damage to muscles and tendons.

Minimally invasive hip joint replacement surgery is performed with a small incision and minimized surgery time.

This allows less surgical risk and faster recovery for patients. After three days of surgery, patients can walk with a cane or walker, and people can get back to normal activity after one to two months.

Minimally invasive hip joint replacement surgery minimizes the dislocation of the hip joint, which is the main cause of repeated surgery, thus reducing the risk greatly.

A second operation is more difficult and has a greater risk of complications.

Therefore, it is crucial to have a joint replacement surgery which leaves no need for a second operation.

Other than joint replacement surgery, the hip joint can also be treated through other arthroscopic methods.

These are used to treat ruptured hip nasobial, femoroacetabular impingement, suppurative arthritis or the removal of loose bodies in the joint.

This surgical method uses a thin tube equipped with a micro-camera and laser surgical equipment.

This method can diagnose foreign substances in joints or damaged cartilage, and has the benefit of both diagnosing and treating at the same time.

Unlike knee and shoulder arthroscopy, hip arthroscopy is not commonly performed, as not many surgeons have received the proper training or have access to the proper surgical equipment.

The hip joint is anatomically very complex, thus it is important to consult with a hip specialist to receive appropriate treatment and achieve the best results.

The writer is specialist in orthopedic surgery at Bumin Hospital Seoul in Gangseo.