Brief summary, from the abstract
This review argues that hip and knee osteoarthritis are distinct conditions and that applying knee-based research and guidelines to the hip may be misleading. It maps out where the two differ so that hip-specific treatments can be developed.
- Both hip and knee OA are leading causes of disability worldwide, but most research has centred on the knee and then been extrapolated to the hip, including in clinical guidelines.
- The authors contend the two joints differ across prevalence, prognosis, epigenetics, pathophysiology, anatomy and biomechanics, clinical presentation, pain, and non-surgical treatment, so knee findings should not be assumed to apply to the hip.
- This is a narrative review summarising existing literature rather than new trial data, so it sets out where evidence gaps lie rather than reporting effect sizes or numbers.
Clinically assessing this area? See the knee special tests.