Arthritis - what's that?

Arthritis is the medical term for wear and tear in the joint. Or better said: Excessive wear and tear in the joint &ndash a change in the joint which is not a normal part of the ageing process. This is because a joint can wear out – like everything that is used and moved a lot and frequently. Joints show traces of wear and tear.

Step by step towards hip arthritis.

Wear and tear in the joint: When the protective cartilage layer between the femoral head and acetabulum gets worn out, the joint hurts. Signs of arthritis.

A joint always consists of two bones which are lubricated and protected by cartilage tissue. But this protective sleeve can get worn &ndash.  in the hip in most cases because of excessive stress.  Once injured then progressive destruction of the cartilage tissue occurs. This is because unevenness or abnormal positions in the hip displace the bones very slightly increasing friction within the joint. For the hip joint this means: With each step the joint becomes damaged a little more. Then joint capsule and joint mucosa can become involved 'in sympathy'.

If in the case of advanced stage arthritis part of the protective cartilage layer in the hip wears out and the bones of the joint rub against each other in this area. For those affect it is very painful. In addition the constant rubbing of the bones against each other can bring about deformations of the bones in the hip joint itself. The whole joint comes out of its frame – like an out-of-round car tyre. This in turn leads to rapid removal of the remaining cartilage layer: A vicious circle.