| 2. What is Arthritis? |
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Arthritis of the hip is a disease which wears away the cartilage between the femoral head and the acetabulum, the two bones will scrape against each other, raw bone on raw bone. When this happens, the joint becomes pitted, eroded and uneven. The result is pain, stiffness and instability. In some cases, motion of the leg may be greatly restricted. Arthritis of the hip is a disease which wears away the cartilage between the femoral head and the acetabulum, the two bones will scrape against each other, raw bone on raw bone. When this happens, the joint becomes pitted, eroded and uneven. The result is pain, stiffness and instability. In some cases, motion of the leg may be greatly restricted. What causes arthritis? There are several different forms of the disease, each with its own causes. They included: Osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis . It is degenerative and although it most often occurs in patients over the age of 50, it can occur at any age, especially if the joint is in some way damaged. It is usually confined to the large weight-bearing joints of the lower extremities, including the hips and knees, but may effect the spine and upper extremity joints, too. Patients with osteoarthritis often develop large bone spurts, or osteophytes, around the joint, further limiting motion. Rheumatoid arthritis, which is often seen in younger people, particularly women. This disease usually involves the deterioration of many joint surfaces causing patients to complain of similar symptoms in their hands, feet, shoulders, hips and knees. Other symptoms include anemia, weight loss and repeated bouts of swelling in the affected joint, along with the pain, stiffness and instability normally associated with arthritis. Traumatic arthritis, which results from severe injury that damages the joint surface and may be accompanied by torn ligaments, tendons and muscles causing the hip to become grossly unstable. Aseptic necrosis, which can occur in some hip fractures even after they have healed. Aseptic necrosis refers to the death of the ''ball'' or head of the femur caused by interruptions of its blood vessels. In addition to fractures, other causes for this interruption in the blood supply to some part of the hip may be attributed to sickle cell disease or a reaction to medication. Often, there is no identifiable cause. Infectious arthritis, which occurs when an infection in some other part of the body travels through the bloodstream and lodges in the hip joint. The invading bacteria and the body's response can rapidly destroy the joint cartilage within a matter of days. Open wounds into the hip joint can also cause an infectious arthritis to develop. Most patients with hip arthritis are successfully treated with prescribed medication, physical therapy and by limiting those activities that over-stress the hip joint. |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 August 2005 ) |
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