Hip Arthritis

Nationally Ranked in Orthopedics

UT Southwestern Medical Center is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top hospitals for orthopedic care.

Hip arthritis is a common joint condition that can make walking, standing, and daily activities more difficult over time. Recent advances in nonsurgical care for hip arthritis can bring relief to many patients – and help them live a full, active life. When nonsurgical treatments are no longer working, surgery is often an effective treatment option.

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s orthopedic specialists are experienced in helping patients navigate nonsurgical and surgical treatments to manage arthritis pain that affects hip joints, improving their movement and allowing them to stay active.

Why Choose UT Southwestern to Evaluate and Treat Hip Arthritis?

UT Southwestern’s orthopedic specialists personalize care plans to focus on each patient’s needs and goals. We offer comprehensive care for hip arthritis, from diagnosis through recovery, and treat the whole patient, focusing on overall health and only recommending surgery when absolutely necessary.

Patients benefit from:

• Fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons with experience treating the full spectrum of hip conditions
• Advanced imaging and diagnostic technology to accurately evaluate hip arthritis and guide care decisions
• Personalized care plans that emphasize nonsurgical treatment, with surgery considered only when appropriate
• Access to the latest nonsurgical and surgical treatments
• Highly advanced joint replacement surgical procedures, when needed, that are designed to minimize recovery times and offer results that last for years
• Care at a leading academic medical center recognized for orthopedic expertise and innovation
• A commitment to communicating. Our team is available to answer questions before and after surgery

What Are the Symptoms of Hip Arthritis?

Symptoms can range from mild to severe and may come and go, especially in the early stages. Common hip arthritis symptoms include:

• Pain in the hip, groin, thigh, or buttock
• Stiffness, especially in the morning or after sitting
• Reduced range of motion in the hip
• Hip pain that worsens with activity
• Difficulty walking, bending, or climbing stairs
• A grinding or clicking sensation in the hip joint

What Services Does UT Southwestern Offer to Treat Advanced Hip Arthritis?

Our UT Southwestern care team will develop a treatment plan focused on helping patients move more comfortably, stay active, and maintain independence. Treatment usually begins with nonsurgical options, which help many patients manage symptoms effectively.

Nonsurgical Treatments

Injections

Injections reduce inflammation in the hip joint, and advances in these therapies have benefited many patients. Injections may help reduce pain and improve movement for some patients.

Injections we offer at UT Southwestern include:

• Corticosteroid injections, which deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly into the hip joint
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which uses a concentrated portion of a patient’s own blood and is injected into the hip joint to support the body’s natural healing response

Other Pain-Reducing Treatments

UT Southwestern’s musculoskeletal interventional radiologists and pain management specialists offer targeted nerve block ablations, a minimally invasive treatment that can reduce pain if injections don’t help and can be an alternative to surgery for some people.

These nerve blocks can be followed by other pain-reducing treatments, including nerve burning (radiofrequency ablation) and nerve freezing (cryoneurolysis). While the nerves grow back over time, your pain relief may last several months or longer, depending on the individual.

It’s important to understand that these treatments don’t regrow damaged cartilage but instead help relieve the pain patients experience.

Surgical Treatments

We only recommend surgery when absolutely necessary. It is an option after nonsurgical treatments no longer provide relief. Our patients who consider surgery have severe arthritis that is causing acute hip pain and/or stiffness and interfering with their quality of life and ability to move.

UT Southwestern’s Orthopedic Surgery Program offers leading-edge surgical options, including:

• Hip resurfacing
• Hip replacement surgery
• Revision hip replacement surgery

Support Services

UT Southwestern has a wide range of support services available to patients receiving either nonsurgical or surgical care for hip arthritis. The services include:

• Physical therapy and rehabilitation programs
• Pain management
• Education to aid recovery and long-term joint health