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Conditions we treat

Osteoarthritis

Causes

  • Hip impingement, also known as Femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI)

  • Risk increases with age

  • Women are more likely to suffer with osteoarthritis than men.

  • Runs in families

  • Increased risk in people who are very overweight

  • Previous joint injury

  • Related to repetitive injury during certain types of sport, such as football, rowing. 

  • Joint damage from another disease such as rheumatoid arthritis 

Hip osteoarthritis

What is it?

  • A condition in which the joints of the body becomes damaged, stop moving freely and become painful. It is the most common form of arthritis in the UK.

  • 8.75 million people in the UK sought treatment for osteoarthritis in 2019.

  • 2.1 million (8% of total UK population) suffer from hip osteoarthritis.

  • Affects 18% of women and 9.6% of men aged over 60 years worldwide.

  • Most common in people over 50 but can occur at any age.

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Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

What is it?

  • FAI refers to an abnormality in the shape of the hip

  • Approximately 25% of the general population have this.

  • It can give rise to groin pain and it significantly increases the risk of developing arthritis over 20 years

  • 80-90% of  some sporting groups (e.g. footballers, rowers and ice hockey players) have this abnormal hip shape.

  • Causes progressive damage to hip socket resulting in osteoarthritis

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Causes

  • Runs in families so likely genetic component

  • Minor deformities in the growth plate of the hip may give rise to FAI

  • The deformity arises in early adolescence (10-12 years old)

  • Strongly associated with playing some types of sport eg football/ice hockey/rowing

Stages of cartilage damage 
Hip Arthroscopy

Labral Tears

Causes

  • Traumatic- after an accident or a sporting injury

  • Caused by Femoro-Acetabular Impingement

  • Related to chronic low-grade damage

    • Contact sports

    • Running

    • Rowing

  • Due to a shallow hip socket (Hip Dysplasia)

What are they?

  • The labrum is a rim of rubbery cartilage that attaches to the socket of the hip

  • Its function is to spread the weight transmitted by the hip joint and to seal in joint fluid.

  • Labral tears occur in more than 20% of people, although many don't cause pain.

  • They typically present with groin pain that occurs when the hip is flexed, such as when sitting or squatting. 

  • People often get pain when climbing in/out of vehicles and sometimes at the end of exercise. 

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Hip Arthroscopy labral tear
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