Loose Bodies & Hip Specialist
Are you experiencing sharp pain in the hip that occurs during specific motions or movements? If so, you may have a loose body. A loose body is a term that can be used to describe a floating piece of cartilage or bone inside of a joint. This can include the hip and signifies loose fragments that have detached from bone or articular cartilage as the result of an injury. Loose bodies specialist, Dr. Jervis Yau provides diagnosis and both surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for patients in Santa Barbara who have symptoms of a loose body within the joint. Contact Dr. Yau’s team today!
An Overview of Loose Bodies in the Hip Joint
As a ball and socket joint, the hip offers a great amount of movement. With this mobility, comes the risk of injury to the bones, ligaments, tendons or articular cartilage. A sports injury or other traumatic event may cause small fragments of articular cartilage to break off in the hip joint, known as loose bodies. Loose bodies are appropriate to think of as small debris within the hip. Patients in the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California communities can depend on Dr. Jervis Yau, hip specialist, to diagnose and treat this articular cartilage injury in order to relieve pain and joint catching.
What Causes Loose Bodies in the Hip?
Loose bodies often occur as a result of a hip injury, such as a sports injury, fall or automobile accident. Articular cartilage injury can also occur as a result of repetitive, ongoing wear and tear of the hip joint, often associated with osteoarthritis.
Loose bodies can be a variety of shapes and sizes and cause a number of bothersome symptoms. Since the loose pieces of articular cartilage float freely around the joint, they have the possibility of migrating and causing additional issues.
What are the Symptoms of Loose Bodies?
The hallmark symptom of this articular cartilage injury is hip pain. The pain can come on suddenly and may lead to the sensation of “giving way.”. This is because of the loose piece of cartilage becoming lodged in between the hip’s ball and socket joint. Many patients also report a periodic sensation of joint catching and locking.
How are Loose Bodies Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of loose bodies begins with a thorough medical review and physical examination. The physical examination will determine loss of joint mobility and strength, as well as determines what movements are most painful. Dr. Yau will perform x-rays and an MRI to precisely locate the loose body and to reach the correct surgical treatment plan.
What is the Treatment for Loose Bodies in the Hip?
Surgical
Surgery is usually the recommended treatment for patients affected by loose bodies. Dr. Yau will use a minimally invasive hip arthroscopy approach to remove the loose pieces of articular cartilage and to correct any other issues present in the affected hip joint. Dr. Yau commonly performs a chondroplasty during the same operation in order to smooth down the areas of damaged cartilage.
If you are suffering from the articular cartilage injury known as loose bodies, please contact the office of Dr. Jervis Yau, orthopedic hip specialist in the Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria and Ventura, California area.