The hip is the largest ball and socket joint in the human body and is well protected by a variety of muscles and tendon layers. However, wear of the hip is one of the commonest degenerative diseases. Although it is more frequent in older persons than in younger ones, it is not a geriatric disease as such. Apart from age, there are a number of other risk factors, including a lifestyle that involves heavy work or strenuous sporting activities. A British study has shown that professional soccer players have a much higher risk of arthrosis of the hip even if they never had a hip injury during their playing careers.

Practically all hip pathologies are accompanied by characteristic pain occurring at first only sporadically and after a lengthy period of exertion. The pain-free intervals gradually become shorter, however, and at some point the pain is felt after slight exertion or even at rest. It can be caused by damage to the labrum through a fall or by a loss of function of the cartilage, the natural shock absorber, through inflammation or over-use. Friction between the neck of the femur and the acetabular cartilage as a result of a deformation of the head and neck of the femur can also cause pain. This cam impingement, as it is called, is believed today to be the most frequent cause of arthrosis in men under 60. If the impingement or damaged cartilage are not repaired, further deterioration in the form of arthrosis is likely to result. Symptoms of cartilage or labrum damage itself are an inability to bend the leg or turn it inwards and hip pain. Injuries and impingements can now be treated by arthroscopy, a procedure that has long been used for knee and shoulder conditions. Once the first signs of arthrosis manifest themselves, an arthroscopy is urgently recommended to prevent the disease from progressing. The sooner treatment begins the better the long-term prognosis.

However, arthroscopy of the hip as well as other minimally invasive hip operations and bone-sparing resurfacing as an alternative to total end prosthesis require a high degree of skill and experience on the part of the surgeon.