Hip osteoarthritis is a rheumatic condition that causes damage to the hip joint.
The main characteristics of osteoarthritis are the damage of articular cartilage that covers the bone surface in the joint and bone hyperplasia at the limits of the articular surfaces of the bones in the joint.
The basic symptoms of hip osteoarthritis are pain and stiffness.
The pain is usually felt in the groin, that is in the anterior region of the joint, and may even reflect on the knee. It occurs mainly after periods of intense physical activity, and gradually becomes more and more frequent, even when at rest. When the pain occurs at night and wakes the patients out of their sleep, then there is usually advanced osteoarthritis.
After a long rest, stiffness is felt at first. Later, it progressively increases, sometimes reaching the point where there is a difficulty for the patient to wear socks or shoes.
In the early stages, the patient may walk with a limp.
This post is also available in: Greek
