Arthritis of the hip can alter the quality of a person's life dramatically. In addition, it can result in a limp that aggravates other medical conditions or can cause falls and serious injuries. Without any smooth cartilage in between, bone rubs against bone and the structure of the bone may change, causing actual bone loss. One leg may become shorter than the other, with muscles that are no longer the proper length to function fully.
Bone spurs can also develop and interfere with the range of motion.
In addition, the round ball on the head of the femur bone changes shape, becoming oval instead of round and not able to move freely in the socket. Hip replacement surgery can literally put people back on their feet and back into an active lifestyle. When people are suffering with an arthritic hip, there's a very high probability that hip replacement will take most of their pain away. A total hip replacement exchanges the joint's natural ball and socket with one made of metal. It is then separated by a plastic insert made of high-density polyethylene.