• Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects joints including bone, cartilage, ligaments and muscles. Osteoarthritis can include inflammation of the tissue around the hip joint, damage to joint surface cartilage, bony spurs growing around the edge of the hip joint and/or deterioration of the ligaments and tendons that hold the joint together.

  • Inflammatory arthritis involves a group of immune conditions which affect the joint lining (synovium) and can also cause cartilage damage or arthritis. These are often primarily managed by a rheumatologist with non-operative measures, but in some cases will require surgery such as hip replacement.

  • Hip fractures are usually breaks in the top part of the femur (thigh bone), but may also involve the hip socket (acetabulum). They can occur in acute traumatic injuries or chronic stress-type injuries. 

    Soft tissue injuries can also occur to the muscles and tendons around the hip girdle. Many can be treated without surgery, but sometimes surgery may be recommended.

  • Trochanteric bursitis or hip bursitis is a condition most often found in middle aged or elderly people, though inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid may predispose to bursitis. Bursae are found throughout the body, particularly in the shoulder, knee, ankle and hip joints. They are small sacs of fluid, which cushion and lubricate the areas between the bones, muscles and tendons of the joints. Inflammation of the trochanteric bursa is a common cause of outer hip/thigh pain. In many cases of trochanteric bursitis, it is the adjacent gluteal tendons which stimulate the problem via gluteal tendon tears or tendinosis (collagen fibre degeneration within the tendon).

  • Hip Dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip, occurring when the ball and socket of the hip do not fit together in their ‘normal’ position or have an abnormal shape. Hip dysplasia is also known as development dysplasia of the hip (DDH). Children with hip dysplasia often need treatment or monitoring by a specialist paediatric orthopaedic specialist. Adults with hip dysplasia may be predisposed to hip osteoarthritis.

Hip conditions

Hip treatments

  • Hip replacement surgery is one of the most successful surgical procedures of all time. It is extremely effective in alleviating pain caused by arthritis, injuries, and many other hip conditions.

    Hip replacement is performed worldwide via one of three common approaches (anterior, lateral and posterior). The anterior approach to hip replacement in particular has seen a resurgence in recent years, and is our routine approach. However, a thorough assessment of an individual patient is required to determine the best approach in each case.

  • Robotic assisted surgery utilises computer-assisted planning combined with a robotic arm guided by your surgeon. It is an advancement of previous technology using computer navigation to assist positioning of a joint replacement implant. The major aim is to assist the surgeon in achieving highly accurate placement of a hip prosthesis.

  • This means that part or all of your previous hip replacement needs to be revised. This operation varies from a minor bearing replacement to a considerable operation replacing significant amount of bone.

    A hip may need to be revised due to pain, plastic (polyethylene) wear, dislocation (instability), loosening of either the femoral or acetabular component, infection or osteolysis (bone loss).

  • The gluteal tendons are the commonest tendons requiring repair around the hip. They may be torn in an acute injury but more commonly fray and tear gradually over time. Outer hip or thigh pain is often called ‘bursitis’ but in many cases the bursitis is a result of gluteal tendon problems. Other tendons around the hip occasionally require repair such the hamstring tendons.

  • Hip arthroscopy is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure in which a small camera is inserted through an incision in the hip. There are limited uses for hip arthroscopy, such as isolated labral tears (in the absence of arthritis) or for removal of loose bodies in the joint. Currently Ascent surgeons do not offer hip arthroscopy.