About 12 percent of osteoarthritis patients who see a general practitioner for hip pain undergo total hip arthroplasty (also referred to as hip replacement) within 3 years, according to researchers in The Netherlands. Researchers studied the progression of osteoarthritis and the rate of total hip arthroplasty among hip pain patients. There were 224 study participants aged 50 years and older who were assessed by their general doctor for hip pain in 1996. Researchers asked the patients about pain severity and general health, then performed physical examinations and obtained hip x-rays and sonograms. Patients had follow-up assessments at 3 years and 6 years.
According to results published online November 29, 2007 in Arthritis Care & Research, the disease had progressed in 29 patients at the 3-year mark and 23 (12 percent) had undergone total hip arthroplasty. At 6 years, hip osteoarthritis had progressed in 45 patients and 22 percent had undergone total hip arthroplasty. Researchers concluded that contributing factors that could predict hip surgery after 3 and 6 years include:
- age 60 years and older
- morning stiffness and pain in the groin/medial thigh area
- decreased range of motion
- body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or less
- grade 2 or higher of Kellgren/Lawrence scale
Osteoarthritis of the hip is a common form of osteoarthritis. About 1 in 4 Americans can expect to develop osteoarthritis of the hip during their lifetime.
Related Resources:
- Too Young for Joint Replacement?
- Hip Osteoarthritis: What You Need to Know
- How to Recover From Hip Replacement Surgery
- Joint Replacement Surgery: When is it the Right Time?
- Joint Replacement Surgery: What You Need to Know
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Photo by Jasmin Awad (iStockphoto)
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