Hip Care

Progressive Hip Care that Gets You Moving

Get moving again with advanced care options from Excelsior’s expert team. Hip pain can quickly impact your ability to do the things you love. We’re committed to finding a solution that eliminates your pain and discomfort, and gives you the range of motion you need to perform life’s essential movements — sitting, standing, bending, turning and walking. Our full suite of in-house services makes treatment convenient, and our team works together to develop the right treatment plan for your goals. Request an Appointment

Common Conditions Our Approach to Care Your Treatment Options Hip Care Physicians Outpatient Total Joint

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Common Conditions Our Approach to Care Your Treatment Options Hip Care Physicians Outpatient Total Joint

Looking to Learn More About Your Diagnosis?

If you’ve been diagnosed with a hip condition, there is a lot of information out there to help you learn more. We want to make sure you get accurate information from a reliable source. Read about some of the most common conditions and click the links to learn more.

Osteoarthritis is inflammation that results from the wearing away of cartilage over time. That cartilage protects your joints and creates a smooth surface. As the cartilage wears away, the surface between the joint loses its cushion and lubrication, causing bone-on-bone friction and often resulting in bone spurs. Hip arthritis most commonly occurs in people older than 50, and develops slowly.

Common Causes

Increasing age
Previous hip injury
Excess weight

Common Symptoms

Pain around the hip joint that worsens over time
Stiffness, often worse in the morning or in rainy weather
Decreased range of motion

Bursitis is inflammation of one or more bursae, which are small, jelly-like sacs that act as cushions for your bones. You have two major bursae in your hip area – one on the bony point of the hip at the top of your femur (greater trochanter), and one on the inside of the hip (iliopsoas). When a bursa becomes inflamed, you may experience pain around that site.

Common Causes

Repetitive stress/overuse. Running, cycling, or standing for long periods of time.
Leg-length inequality. If one leg is shorter than the other, altered gait may inflame the bursa.
Hip Injury. An injury, fall or bump to the bony point of your hip may cause inflammation.

Common Symptoms

Localized acute pain at the point of the hip is often an early symptom.
Ache around a larger area of the hip as the bursitis persists.
Pain that worsens when lying on the hip, after prolonged use, or after sitting.

Your femur is your thigh bone, and your acetabulum is your hip socket. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a bone overgrowth that develops in the area where the femoral head meets the acetabulum. This extra bone impacts movement within the hip joint, and can lead to additional injuries of the tissue and wear on the joints over time. FAI can occur on the femur, the acetabulum, or both.

Common Causes

Abnormal hip bone formation during childhood

Common Symptoms

Pain and stiffness, often in the groin area
Sharp pain caused by turning, twisting or squatting
Limping

The term hip fracture covers several types of fractures of the upper femur. Acetabular fractures (fractures of the joint socket) are not considered hip fractures. Fractures range in severity, but all suspected hip fractures should be treated immediately. Hip fractures are more common in people with osteoporosis, cancer or stress injuries.

Common Causes

Falls from standing height
Direct blows to the side of the hip
Preexisting conditions, such as osteoporosis

Common Symptoms

Pain over the outer thigh or in the groin
Significant pain with hip flexion or rotation
Visible shortening of the broken leg

The labrum is the strong connective tissue that covers a socket joint. In your hip, this socket is called the acetabulum. A tear to the tissue covering and protecting the acetabulum is called a labral tear. The labrum allows for smooth movement of the femoral head within the socket, so a tear to the tissue can limit movement and result in significant pain.

Common Causes

Pre existing structural conditions
Hip trauma, both repetitive and high impact
Degenerative conditions, such as osteoarthritis

Common Symptoms

Hip pain or stiffness in the groin or buttocks
Clicking or locking upon movement
Feeling of instability in the hip joint

Osteonecrosis, sometimes called Avascular Necrosis or aseptic necrosis, can occur in any bone but is most common in the hip. It occurs as a result of disrupted blood flow to the femoral head, leading to gradual bone death. Without treatment, the femoral head can collapse. It is more common in men than women, and more common in those between the ages of 40 and 65. If suspected, early treatment is critical.

Common Causes

*Causes are not always know, but there are known risk factors, including:
Injury to the hip, such as fracture or dislocation
Excessive alcohol use
Long-term corticosteroid use

Common Symptoms

Hip pain, may be dull or throbbing
Difficulty bearing weight
Pain in the groin or buttocks area

For athletes and people who live active lives, muscle strains are very common injuries. A strain is defined as a pull or tear – both can be very painful. Your thigh has three muscle groups: hamstrings in the back, quadriceps in the front, and adductors on the inside. A groin pull is an injury to one of the adductor muscles. Proper rehabilitation after an injury is critical to prevent future injury.

Common Causes

Improper stretching or condition during exercise
Stretching a muscle beyond its limits
Sudden overextension or stress on the muscle

Common Symptoms

Popping or snapping sensation upon injury
Sudden, severe pain
Swelling and bruising on thigh, may extend into calf

Stress fractures are among the most common overuse injuries among athletes. A stress fracture occurs when muscles become too fatigued to continue absorbing shock, and the stress is instead absorbed by the bone, causing tiny cracks. Stress fractures are most common in weight-bearing bones, and require rest in order to heal.

Common Causes

Increasing activity or training intensity too quickly
Change in surface of impact (clay court to rubber court)
Improper equipment i.e. shoes

Common Symptoms

Pain with activity
Pain that subsides with rest

Unlike osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition in which the body produces a chemical substance that attacks the surfaces of joints. It can affect any joint in the body, but is common in the hips. It typically occurs symmetrically in the body, and causes swelling of the joint linings. Onset is most commonly in middle age.

Common Causes

Genetics. It’s not inherited, but there is genetic predisposition

Common Symptoms

Swelling, pain and stiffness in joint, even at rest
Fever, loss of appetite, decreased energy
Visible deformities or lumps around the joint

Advanced Treatment Options For A Better Recovery

Non-Operative Treatment Surgical Treatment Recovery Upcoming Patient Seminars

Non-Operative Treatment

There are many ways to treat orthopaedic injuries. Many times, hip injuries or conditions can be treated without surgical intervention. We’ll explore these options first, including cutting-edge treatments in the field of orthobiologics (injection therapy), physical therapy and durable medical equipment such as orthotics. You don’t have to live in pain or fear — let’s explore your treatment options together.

Physical & Occupational Therapy
Injection Therapy (Orthobiologics)
Nutrition Consulting
Durable Medical Equipment

Surgical Treatment

If non-operative treatments haven’t achieved your recovery goals, there may be surgical options to eliminate your pain and get you back to full function. New approaches to hip surgery have made many procedures faster and less invasive, minimizing recovery time. Our Outpatient Total Joint program even allows for total joint replacements without a hospital stay. Your care team will work with you to find the right solution.

See Our World-Class Surgical Facilites

Arthroscopic Surgery
Total Joint Replacement Surgery
Outpatient Total Joint Program
World-Class Surgical Facilities

Recovery

Whether your treatment is surgical or non-surgical, our goal is always long-term recovery. This may include transitional physical therapy programs, strength and conditioning training, durable medical equipment such as braces, nutrition education and wellness seminars — all offered in-house from Excelsior. Because recovery shouldn’t just be long term, it should also be as convenient as possible.

Physical & Occupational Therapy
Strength & Conditioning
Durable Medical Equipment
Sport Rehabilitation & Conditioning

Upcoming Patient Seminars

Hear it from our physicians! Our upcoming seminars cover topics related to all aspects of orthopaedic care, including information on specific conditions and treatments. We want you to get the treatment that will work best for you, and that starts with education.

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Hip Care

Progressive Hip Care that Gets You Moving

Looking to Learn More About Your Diagnosis?

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

Common Causes

Common Symptoms

How Does Excelsior Approach My Care?

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What Should I Expect From My Care Team?

What Will My Treatment Include?

What Will My Recovery Look Like?

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Advanced Treatment Options For A Better Recovery

Non-Operative Treatment

Surgical Treatment

Recovery

Upcoming Patient Seminars

Our Hip Care Doctors

James P. Behr, MD

Adam O. Burzynski, MD

Donald P. Douglas, MD

Peter L. Gambacorta, DO

Patrick J. Hlubik, MD

Matthew A. Mann, MDCM

David T. Miller, MD

Michael J. Ostempowski, MD

James A. Slough, MD

Daniel V. Vargo, MD

Nicholas J. Violante, DO

Ryan D. Wilkins, MD

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