Hip dysplasia is thought to be the leading cause of degenerative arthritis requiring joint replacement in young adults. This disorder is due to abnormal development of the hip during early life. This poor development is a combination of both genetic factors as well as environmental causes such as position of the baby during pregnancy and shortly after birth. These factors lead to a spectrum of disease affecting both the socket (acetabulum) and upper thigh bone.

The disorder may be very mild, going unnoticed throughout life, to very severe in which the hip is dislocated at birth. The more mild forms cause a subtle shallowness of the socket, to more severe forms where the hip may actually be dislocated at birth. All conditions in between are possible with this disorder.

Symptoms of Hip Dysplasia

The dysplastic hip becomes painful due to the poor position of the socket and upper femur. The femoral head is not properly positioned deep in the socket. This shallow position of the femoral head leads to body weight being focused on a small area of cartilage towards the outside of the joint, resulting in break down (arthritis) of the hip.

The first thing to breakdown may be the hip labrum, followed by the more deep hip cartilage covering the socket and femoral head. Eventually the degeneration involves a significant amount of the hip joint eliminating the possibility of joint preservation.

The hip pain that is caused by dysplasia may present at different times, depending on the severity of the dysplasia and the activities during early life. Pain may start very occasionally with heavy activity, or may present suddenly. Pain usually progresses and at varying pace, depending on the severity of dysplasia and activity of the patient. Obesity increases the load on the joint, and may also contribute to the speed of pain progression.

More Information

Read our answers to Frequently Asked Questions about hip dysplasia and treatment options.