Hip Injection

Hip injection can be either diagnostic or therapeutic:-

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Diagnostic- If there is uncertainty about where pain is coming from then a local anaesthetic injection into the hip joint will only resolve pain coming from the hip. If the pain is resolved, it is coming from the hip; if the pain does not go, it is not coming from the hip.

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Therapeutic- Usually a cortisone (Kenalog) and local anaesthetic is used and this reduces the inflammation in the hip joint. the success rate is around 70% but the duration of improvement is very variable (from a few hours to a long term improvement). where a cortisone injection (or two) has not worked Mr Ashworth has found that Ostenil and Durolane (synthetic lubricants of hyaluronic acid) have about a 50% chance of significantly improving the hip pain.

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Procedure-

As the hip is deep inside the body, the injection is performed with X-ray guidance to be certain it is in the correct place.

The injection can either be under local anaesthetic in the X-ray department or for those who are needle phobic it can be performed under a brief general anaesthetic in an operating theatre.

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Risks-

Allergy to the drugs used (Durolane, Kenalog or Marcaine/Chirocaine)

Bruising

Injury to a nerve (usually temporary symptoms of pain &/or Numbness)

Low risk of infection. However, if this happens it requires urgent treatment and admission to hospital