In Hip OA, radiographic changes increased while pain decreased after 10 years: Study

Netherlands:Osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip is a common problem in Western society and a common diagnosis in primary care. Reset have found in a new study that patients with hip pain, after 10 years, may either receive a hip replacement (HR) or have stable symptoms, finds a recent study in the BMJ journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 

The study, in which patients with early hip problems were followed for 10-years, one of the nine patients received an HR. Prevalence of clinical hip OA and hip ROA increased steadily. Overall, the researchers observed more hip OA but fewer or stable complaints with respect to physical functioning, and clinical signs and symptoms. 

"So it could be cautiously concluded that after 10 years, first-time presenters with hip complaints either received an HR or their symptoms remained stable," wrote the authors.

Annemaria C. van Berkel, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and colleagues aimed to explore the natural course of hip osteoarthritis (OA) in a population of first-time presenters with hip complaints.