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Summary
Your hip is the joint where your thigh bone meets your pelvis bone. Hips are called ball-and-socket joints because the ball-like top of your thigh bone moves within a cup-like space in your pelvis. Your hips are very stable. When they are healthy, it takes great force to hurt them. However, playing sports, running, overuse or falling can all sometimes lead to hip injuries. These include
Certain diseases also lead to hip injuries or problems. Osteoarthritis can cause pain and limited motion. Osteoporosis of the hip causes weak bones that break easily. Both of these are common in older people.
Treatment for hip disorders may include rest, medicines, physical therapy, or surgery, including hip replacement.
Latest News
- Getting Active After Knee Replacement Might Raise Hip Fracture Risk (04/18/2016, HealthDay)
- Mediterranean Diet May Help Lower Hip Fracture Risk in Older Women (03/28/2016, HealthDay)
Diagnosis and Tests
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Arthrography
(Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology)
Available in Spanish
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Bone X-Ray (Radiography)
(Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology)
Available in Spanish
- Hip Pain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Hip Problems (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Hip Ultrasound (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Available in Spanish
- MRI of the Musculoskeletal System (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Available in Spanish
- Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (Radiological Society of North America, American College of Radiology) Available in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
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MedlinePlus: Hip Replacement
(National Library of Medicine)
Available in Spanish
- Preventing Blood Clots After Hip or Knee Replacement Surgery or Surgery for a Broken Hip: A Review of the Research for Adults (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Available in Spanish
Living With
- Hip Conditioning Program (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- Managing Pain from a Broken Hip: A Guide for Adults and Their Caregivers (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) Available in Spanish
-
MedlinePlus: Mobility Aids
- Canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs
Available in Spanish
Related Issues
- Falls in Nursing Homes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Specifics
- Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- Fracture After Total Hip Replacement (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- Hip Fracture (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Hip Labral Tear (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis (PVNS) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
Health Check Tools
- Hip Injury (DSHI Systems)
- Hip Pain (DSHI Systems)
Statistics and Research
- Hip Fractures among Older Adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Femoral Neck Fractures
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hip Dislocation
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hip Fractures
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Hip Injuries
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Pelvis
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Intramedullary Versus Extramedullary Fixation for Unstable Intertrochanteric Fractures: A Prospective...
- Article: Cemented versus uncemented arthroplasty in patients with a displaced fracture...
- Article: Surgical site infection in elderly patients with hip fractures, silver-coated...
- Hip Injuries and Disorders -- see more articles
Find an Expert
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Available in Spanish
- Find a Doctor (American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons)
- Find a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physician (American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)
-
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Available in Spanish
Children
- Developmental Dislocation (Dysplasia) of the Hip (DDH) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
- Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (Nemours Foundation)
- Hip Problems in Infants (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Transient Synovitis of the Hip (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
- Ultrasound: Infant Hip (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- X-Ray Exam: Hip (Nemours Foundation) Available in Spanish
- X-Ray Exam: Pelvis (Nemours Foundation)
Teenagers
- Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (American Academy of Family Physicians) Available in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- Developmental dysplasia of the hip Available in Spanish
- Getting your home ready - knee or hip surgery Available in Spanish
- Hip arthroscopy Available in Spanish
- Hip flexor strain -- aftercare Available in Spanish
- Hip fracture - discharge Available in Spanish
- Hip fracture surgeries Available in Spanish
- Hip joint injection Available in Spanish
- Hip pain Available in Spanish
- Legg-Calve-Perthes disease Available in Spanish
- Slipped capital femoral epiphysis Available in Spanish
- Trochanteric bursitis Available in Spanish