To better explain what is meant by hip osteoarthritis, I will quickly review the different types of this condition:
- The idiopathic or primitive form typical of old age is the consequence of an imbalance between degeneration and regeneration of the cartilage lining with its progressive wear and tear. Later, the pathological process progressively involves synovial tissue and subchondral bone (this is the layer of bone underneath the articular cartilage) until, in severe cases, it leads to joint collapse.
- Secondary forms, on the other hand, have an earlier onset. Their cause may be post-traumatic, or consequent to congenital malformations or diseases arising in adolescence or more rarely a consequence of arthritic diseases or dysmetabolic diseases.
