According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, although the hips are stable, there are numerous diseases or conditions that affect the hip's ball-and-socket joint, including Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, congenital hip dislocation and osteoarthritis. Hip joint diseases can cause pain, decrease range of motion and reduce a person's quality of life. Common interventions for hip joint diseases may include rest, physical therapy and, in severe cases, surgery.
Legg–Calvé–Perthes Disease
The Mayo Clinic states that Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease occurs during childhood, is a degenerative condition and is associated with insufficient blood supply to part of the hip joint. Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease is characterized by avascular osteonecrosis—death of bone tissue due to an interruption in normal blood supply—of the capital femoral epiphysis of the femoral head. Avascular osteonecrosis makes the bones unstable, causing them to break easily and heal slowly. The Mayo Clinic states that Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease often affects just one hip, although it occasionally manifests in both hips, and that it's most common among those between the ages of 2 and 12. Children who develop the disease at a young age have the best prognosis, as the younger the child, the more time there is to re-form the involved hip bone. The Mayo Clinic notes that the majority of children with Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease go on to lead normal lives.
Congenital Hip Dislocation
According to an article by Deborah Pate, D.C., on the Dynamic Chiropractic website, congenital hip dislocation, or CHD, has an incidence of 1.5 per 1,000 births, and is eight times more common in girls than boys. Pate also notes that the left hip is affected twice as often as the right, and that bilateral dislocation occurs in greater than 25 percent of cases. To rule in a diagnosis of CHD, certain physical exam and radiographic findings must be present. Clinical indicators that suggest CHD in newborns or infants include a limited ability to move a flexed hip away from the body, one leg shorter than the other and several positive orthopedic tests. Radiographic measurements to screen for CHD include the following: Hilgenreiner line, acetabular index, Perkin-Ombredanne line, Shenton-Menard line and Andren-von Rosen line. CHD often can be treated using conservative care, especially if it's caught early.
Osteoarthritis
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS, states that, like the other weight-bearing joints in the body, the hips may be vulnerable to osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease or DJD, involves the degradation of joints, including the excessive wearing of the smooth articular cartilage on the end of bones. According to the AAOS, some of the first symptoms associated with hip joint osteoarthritis are discomfort and stiffness in the groin, buttocks or thighs upon waking in the morning. Hip joint osteoarthritis is characterized by acute flare-ups during bouts of activity that are relieved with rest. Without appropriate intervention, osteoarthritis progresses to the point that rest is no longer effective in reducing osteoarthritis-related pain. The hip joint then becomes stiff and inflamed, and bone spurs, also known as osteophytes, may accumulate along the joint's edges. In advanced cases, there is bone-on-bone contact, which can produce severe pain and discomfort and limit activity. Decreased activity leads to weak muscles and an overall reduced quality of life.
