Treatment

Conservative treatment includes walking aids such as a stick or wheelchair. The stick is held in the hand opposite to the arthritic hip. Other options include the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, for example NSAIDS. Physiotherapy may help relieve pain. Obesity may accelerate progression and so obese patients should be advised to lose weight.

Surgical treatment is employed if conservative treatment fails, or if there is night-time pain - itself an indicator of significant disease. Surgical alternatives include:

• osteotomy, which allows redistribution of stress from a part where the joint is damaged to an undamaged part - rarely performed
• arthrodesis, which is now rarely performed
• hip replacement, which is the most widely used operation. However this procedure has a 10% revision rate after 10 years
• hip resurfacing arthroplasty