Osteoarthritis of the hip is also called coxarthrosis and is a chronic degenerative disease of the hip joint due to progressive disruption of articular cartilage.
Hip osteoarthritis can be primary or secondary. Primary coxarthrosis develops mostly in people of advanced age and has no clearly recognized cause, while secondary coxarthrosis develops as a result of other pathologies, which may be structural, such as certain congenital joint deformities, or of traumatic, infectious, rheumatic, or vascular origin.
It is a chronic and progressive disease that affects the cartilage that covers the femoral head and the acetabulum of the hip, that is, the cavity that contains it. Over time, the cartilage layer gradually thins until the underlying bone is exposed. This reacts by thickening and deforming, producing osteophytes, growths that restrict and make movement painful. Thickening of the joint capsule and retraction of the muscles produce a characteristic posture.
It is a widespread condition responsible for a high burden of disability in many people.
