Arthritis in Your Hip or Knee: Understanding Your Options at Every Stage

Key Takeaways

• Arthritis in the hip or knee is diagnosed through a combination of patient history, physical exam, and X-rays that show the extent of joint damage.
• Nonsurgical management, including injections, physical therapy, and activity modification, is the appropriate first step for most patients.
• Certain signs, such as pain at rest, night pain, and worsening function despite conservative treatment, indicate progression toward replacement candidacy.
• Dr. Redmond explores non-surgical options first and only recommends surgery when it is genuinely the best path forward.
• Before committing to any new treatment, patients deserve honest answers about safety, side effects, and what monitoring looks like. Request an appointment with Dr. John Redmond in Jacksonville to talk through your options.

APPOINTMENTS

How Arthritis Is Staged and Diagnosed in the Hip and Knee

Arthritis is one of the most common reasons people seek orthopedic care, and one of the most frequently misunderstood. It is not a single condition but a family of conditions that share one outcome: damage to the cartilage inside a joint, leading to pain, stiffness, swelling, and a gradual loss of the ease of movement most people take for granted.

Diagnosis typically starts with a detailed history of your symptoms, followed by a physical exam that checks range of motion, strength, and specific signs of joint irritation. X-rays are the primary imaging tool used to stage arthritis, showing the degree of joint space narrowing, bone spur formation, and other structural changes. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, X-rays of an arthritic hip typically show a narrowing of the joint space, changes in the bone, and the formation of bone spurs, with more advanced disease showing severe loss of joint space or bone-on-bone contact.

The three most common types of arthritis affecting the hip and knee are:

• Osteoarthritis: The most prevalent form, developing as cartilage gradually breaks down over time. Most common in older adults but can appear earlier after a joint injury.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the joint lining, causing chronic inflammation that progressively damages cartilage and bone.
• Post-traumatic arthritis: Arthritis that develops after a significant joint injury, such as a fracture or ligament tear, sometimes appearing years after the original injury.

Nonsurgical Management Options

For most patients, conservative treatment is the right first step, and Dr. Redmond explores these options thoroughly before any conversation about surgery:

• Anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and swelling
• Corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections for targeted, temporary relief
• Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles supporting the joint and improve function
• Activity modification to reduce stress on the affected joint
• Weight management, which can meaningfully reduce the load placed on the hip and knee
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for appropriate patients with early-to-moderate joint changes

These options will not reverse existing arthritis, but they can meaningfully reduce pain and improve function, sometimes for years, before surgery needs to be part of the conversation.

Signs That Indicate Progression Toward Replacement Candidacy

Arthritis tends to progress gradually, and certain signs suggest that conservative management may no longer be enough:

• Pain that occurs at rest or disrupts sleep, rather than only during activity
• Chronic swelling that does not respond to medication or injections
• Significant stiffness that limits the ability to bend, walk, or climb stairs
• A noticeable decline in function despite consistent physical therapy and other conservative treatment
• X-rays showing advanced joint space narrowing or bone-on-bone contact

When several of these signs are present, it is worth having an honest conversation about whether joint replacement is the right next step, rather than continuing to manage symptoms that are no longer responding to treatment.

Nonsurgical Care vs. Surgical Treatment

Dr. Redmond specializes in direct anterior hip replacement and robotic knee replacement, both of which allow for same-day outpatient surgery for most patients and a faster recovery than traditional techniques, when surgery genuinely becomes the right answer.

What to Expect From a Treatment-Planning Visit With Dr. Redmond

A treatment-planning visit starts with understanding how arthritis is affecting your specific daily life, what you have already tried, and what you want to be able to do again. Dr. Redmond will review your imaging with you, explain what stage your arthritis has reached, and walk through the full range of options, from conservative management to surgery, with honest expectations at every step. No two patients receive the same recommendation, because no two patients have the same combination of symptoms, imaging findings, and goals.

Frequently Asked Questions