Arthritis develops when the cartilage responsible for covering and protecting the bones of a joint degenerates.   Then the cartilage no longer can prevent development of friction between the bones. This breakdown of cartilage occurs for a variety of reasons, including, wear-and-tear on the joints, carrying excess weight, cartilage defects and/or malformed hip joints. There are two categories used when diagnosing arthritis, primary and secondary.

Primary – a generalized degeneration of the cartilage within a joint leading to osteoarthritis affecting the hips, knees, spine, thumbs or fingers.

Secondary – the osteoarthritis is brought on by an injury, joint inflammation or due to a condition affecting the composition of the cartilage (e.g., infection, hemochromatosis).

Individuals with hip joint arthritis may experience difficulty walking, pain in various areas, including the buttocks, thigh, knee and especially the groin. This pain may be sharp, stabbing or a dull ache: Other symptoms include swelling, stiffness and, as time passes, the joint may become deformed.