What We Treat

Hip pain is common. But hip pain means different things to different people. One of the key steps in your treatment is to establish an accurate diagnosis, in orther words, to work out why you have pain. After an accurate diagnosis is made, treatment can be recommended. This may include injections, physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery should other measures not be sufficient to provide meaningful relief. 

Hip stiffness is a common symptom that can make everyday activities such as walking, putting on shoes and socks, getting in and out of a car, or climbing stairs increasingly difficult. While many people attribute stiffness to tight hip flexors or reduced flexibility, persistent stiffness may be caused by underlying conditions such as osteoarthritis, labral pathology as a result of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip dysplasia, or previous injury. Identifying the underlying cause is essential, as treatment ranges from stretching and physiotherapy to surgery when stiffness is due to structural problems within the hip.

Hip osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis affecting the hip joint. It occurs when the smooth cartilage that lines the joint gradually wears away, leading to joint inflammation, narrowing of the joint space, and changes to the underlying bone. This can result in pain, stiffness, reduced movement, and difficulty with everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, or putting on shoes and socks. Treatment is tailored to the severity of symptoms and may include lifestyle modifications, physiotherapy, medications, injections, and, when appropriate, surgery.

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that lines the socket of the hip, helping to provide stability and cushioning to the joint. A labral tear can occur due to injury, underlying structural abnormalities such as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) or hip dysplasia, and age-related degeneration. Symptoms commonly include groin pain, clicking or catching, stiffness, giving way and pain during activity. Treatment is tailored to the underlying cause and may include physiotherapy, activity modification, injections, or surgery when appropriate.

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) occurs when the bones of the hip joint do not fit together normally, causing abnormal contact during movement. Over time, this can damage the labrum and cartilage, leading to groin pain, stiffness, and reduced hip motion. Treatment depends on the severity of symptoms and may include physiotherapy, injections, activity modification, or surgery  to correct the underlying impingement and preserve the joint, or replace or resurface the joint if it has significant underlying degeneration.

Hip dysplasia occurs when the hip socket, due to abnormal development does not fully cover the ball of the hip joint, leading to increased stress on the cartilage and labrum. Although present from birth, many people do not develop symptoms until adulthood. Adult sequellae of hip dysplasia can cause groin pain, instability, labral tears, and early osteoarthritis. Treatment depends on the severity of symptoms and joint damage and may include physiotherapy, injections, hip preservation surgery, or hip arthroplasty.

Avascular necrosis (AVN) occurs when the blood supply to the ball of the hip is disrupted, causing areas of the bone to undergo localised cell death, and in some cases, then collapse. This can lead to groin pain, stiffness, and progressive loss of hip function. Early diagnosis is important, as treatment options depend on the stage of the disease and may range from non-operative management and in some cases surgery to either preserve or replace the damaged bone and cartilage.

A hip replacement is designed to relieve pain and restore function for many years, but like any mechanical device it can develop problems over time. A failed joint replacement occurs when the artificial joint no longer functions as intended, leading to pain, stiffness, instability, reduced mobility, or difficulty performing everyday activities.

There are many causes of a failing joint replacement, including fracture, wear of the bearing surfaces, loosening of the implant from the bone, infection, instability or dislocation.

Hip fractures are serious injuries that most commonly occur following a fall in older adults with low bone density, although they can also result from high-energy trauma in younger patients, or as a result of stress fractures in recreational athletes who have significant increased their volume of training in a short period of time. Prompt assessment and multidisciplinary care in conjuction with physicians and anaethethstists, along with urgent surgical treatment are usually recommended to relieve pain, restore mobility, and reduce the risk of complications, with the aim of helping patients return safely to their previous level of function.

Hamstring injuries range from chronic hamstring tendinopathy to acute tendon ruptures. Hamstring tendinopathy typically causes pain deep in the buttock during running, prolonged sitting, or activities involving hip flexion, while a hamstring rupture is a more severe injury that results in sudden pain, bruising, weakness, and difficulty walking. Treatment depends on the severity of the injury, with most cases improving through physiotherapy, while complete tendon ruptures or injuries causing significant weakness may benefit from surgical repair.

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a common cause of pain over the outside of the hip. It is most often related to irritation or degeneration of the gluteal tendons rather than inflammation of the bursa alone. Symptoms typically include pain when lying on the affected side, walking, climbing stairs, or standing on one leg. Most patients improve with activity modification, targeted physiotherapy, and other non-surgical treatments, including injections while surgery is reserved for persistent symptoms or significant gluteal tendon tears.

Coxa saltans, commonly known as snapping hip syndrome, is a condition in which a tendon or muscle moves over a bony prominence around the hip, causing a snapping or clicking sensation. The snapping may occur at the front, side, or deep within the hip and can be painless or associated with discomfort during walking, sport, or certain movements. Most cases can be managed successfully with activity modification, physiotherapy, and other non-surgical treatments, while surgery is reserved for persistent symptoms that do not respond to conservative care.

Knee osteoarthritis is a common condition in which the smooth cartilage lining the knee joint gradually wears away, leading to pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced mobility. Symptoms often develop gradually and may make everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, or standing from a chair more difficult. Treatment is tailored to the severity of the arthritis and ranges from exercise, weight management, medications, and injections to knee replacement surgery when symptoms significantly affect quality of life.

Sports knee injuries are common and can affect the ligaments, menisci, cartilage, and tendons of the knee. Injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, meniscal tears, and chondral (cartilage) injuries can cause pain, swelling, instability, locking, or difficulty returning to sport. Accurate diagnosis is essential to determine the extent of the injury, and treatment may range from rehabilitation and physiotherapy to arthroscopic surgery or ligament reconstruction, depending on the injury and an individual’s goals.