Morphology and Biomechanics of the Hip. Study III: The Diseased Hip

Abstract

The aim of this study was to define the characteristics of the diseased hip through a series of roentgenographic parameters measured on X-rays taken from a group of patients suffering from primary osteoarthritis. The arthritic hips were divided into three groups: superolateral OA, concentric OA, and medial OA. In light of the anatomo-roentgenographic characteristics this study proposes a new classification of osteoarthritis based on the direction of migration of the femoral head. Analysis of the data has highlighted the extreme polymorphism which characterizes the course and evolution of osteoarthritis and the serious modifications brought about in the hip-joint region.

The clinical impression at the conclusion of this study is of a direct correlation between primary alterations of parameters of the hip and development of osteoarthritis.