A hip joint cartilage defect is an area of damaged cartilage on either of the surfaces of the hip joint, which include the hip bone (pelvis) and thigh bone (femur). These cartilage defects are also called osteochondral defects.
Hip Joint Cartilage Defects
Hip joint cartilage defects are isolated areas of cartilage damage that often cause pain, instability, and limited range of motion. These injuries can result from trauma, repeated overuse, or other hip conditions that affect the normal movement and stability of the hip.
At-home treatment methods can help manage pain from hip joint cartilage defects. Because cartilage has a limited ability to heal, surgery may be needed to prevent hip joint cartilage defects from getting worse.
Surgery for a hip joint cartilage defect involves using a cartilage graft to replace the area of damaged cartilage. Cartilage grafts, which can be taken from the patient or from a donor, can be made from many small pieces of cartilage or one whole piece of cartilage and bone.
