Causes of Hip Pain

If any part of the hip is damaged, movement can become stiff. Even without injury, cartilage can crack and wear away in time. Without carilage's cushioning effect, the ball of the hip joint begins to grind against the socket, bone against bone, causing stiffness and pain.

Some of the most common causes of hip pain include:

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a common degenerative condition in which the cartilage that normally cushions the bones of a joint begins to wear down, allowing the bones to rub together. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and deformity, all of which can contribute to loss of motion.

Although osteoarthritis can affect any joint, the disease typically settles in the hip, neck, back, and fingers. Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of total hip replacements.

Avascular Necrosis (Osteonecrosis)
Total hip replacement may also be recommended in the case of avascular necrosis, a condition in which decreased blood supply to the femoral ball causes the bone to die and decay. Avascular necrosis may be caused by a hip fracture or long-term use of alcohol or steroids.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the hip joint (called the synovial membrane), causing it to swell or become inflamed. The membrane's response is to produce too much lubricating synovial fluid, which can actually damage the joint's articular cartilage. The result is chronic hip pain and stiffness.

Traumatic Arthritis
Arthritis can also be caused by trauma to the hip - generally a fracture or dislocation caused by a fall, car accident, or other injury. According to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), there are more than 352,000 hip fractures each year in the U.S., 90% of which are the result of a fall. Women suffer 2 to 3 times as many hip fractures as men.¹

Reference:
1. American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)