Hip OA in young patient - sudden symptoms
Hi all,
It has been since February of this year that I suddenly noticed a reduced mobility in my right hip. It feels like it really happened overnight: one day I could do leg raises no problem, the next there was a considerable L/R asymmetry.
For context: I am a high level climber in my early 40s and I have been practicing many other sports all my life. Up until now I never had any issues related to my hips.
I tried physio for a few months but with little improvement. Actually the first physio, which tried to make me regain my ROM with manipulations that were probably too aggressive, made things quite a bit worse.
With the second physio things got better. Also some anti-inflammatory helped, as well as some light routine to regain rom, but I am far from where I used to be.
Fast forward, a specialists looks into that and an x-ray shows the following:
Significant right coxarthrosis with supero-lateral joint space narrowing. Pericephalic osteophytic rim. Bony apposition at the head-neck junction. Normal left coxofemoral congruence. No abnormality of the pubic symphysis or the two obturator foramina. No abnormality of the two sacroiliac joints.
I was a bit shocked by this, so I didn't discuss in depth my options. The specialist believes that I may have not noticed the early symptoms, but I disagree. With climbing your hips are key...
I am now wondering if it's common/possible to go from zero to quite a few symptoms "just because" of the OA, or if it's possible to also have some other pathology (e.g. of the labrum or other soft tissues which are definitely under stress in climbing) that is overlapping. Because if that's the case, I can hope to go back to where I was a few months ago, otherwise... it's all about maintenence.
For info: I currently have slightly reduced rom in internal hip rotation and a bit on hip flexion (which I notice only climbing in the extreme positions). Early in the day, I find annoying lacing my shoes and occasionally I find myself limping a little when starting to walk (after a while it goes well instead). Oh, and I am light (50Kg by 165cm, so I suppose all the load on my hips is due to the sport I practice - no special anomalies were detected when I was younger and I got some xray/mri done at my lower back and hips because of back pain)
Any insights? What was your experience?