Medical tests for osteoarthritis of the hip
To make the diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis, the specialist will carry out these steps:
- Questioning about the type of symptoms and their characteristics.
- Exploration of the hip joint, with its movements. Through this, the doctor can objectify the degree of osteoarthritis that exists.
- X-ray of the hip, to confirm the diagnosis

What are the causes of hip osteoarthritis?
Hip osteoarthritis is a multifactorial disease, that is, it is the consequence of a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Some of the secondary causes that together or in isolation cause hip osteoarthritis:
- Obesity
- Advanced age
- Professional activity
- Excessive load on the joint due to high-level sports
- Malformations
- Alterations in the anatomy of the hip

Can it be prevented?
One of the causes of the appearance of osteoarthritis of the hip is aging, with which it is not possible to avoid the disease, but what can be achieved is to greatly delay its appearance.
The main actions that can be carried out with the intention of preventing hip osteoarthritis are:
- Lose weight
- Perform physical exercise. This includes exercising the hip joints.
- Avoid movements that cause pain
- Have a postural education
- Use of canes and crutches
- Have a good diet


Treatments for hip osteoarthritis
Currently there is no treatment that can cure osteoarthritis, but it can alleviate the symptoms, slow its evolution and improve the quality of life.
To do this, there are several alternatives:
+Physical measurements:
- Control of body weight
- Correct malformations or anatomical alterations
- Physical exercise
+Drugs
+Surgery:
- Replacement of the joint by a metallic prosthesis. It is usually performed in severe cases of the disease.

Physical measures and drugs could be referred to as conservative treatment, the aim of which is to minimize pain and immobilization and try to delay the progression of the disease as much as possible.

What specialist treats it?
The orthopedic surgeon is the doctor with the most experience in establishing the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the hip and differentiating it from other joint diseases.