OBJECTIVETo investigate therapeutic effects of intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate, arthroscopy and total hip replacement for the treatment of different severity hip osteoarthritis.

METHODSEighty-nine patients were treated with the three methods from June 2004 to August 2008. There were 33 males and 56 females, ranging in age from 30 to 72 years, averaged 51.8 years. The disease course ranged from 3 to 360 months, with a mean of 58.7 months. All the patients had hip pain and limited movement of hip joint. The patients were treated according to ISOA score and Kellgren-Lawrance (K-L) grades of hip osteoarthritis. The preoperative and postoperative Harris scores were compared.

RESULTSAfter the operation, 83 patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 3 to 58 months. The Harris scores results: the patients with slight hip osteoarthritis and K-L grade I got an averaged preoperative score of (70.50 +/- 4.62) and postoperative score of (91.75 +/- 4.01); the patients with slight hip osteoarthritis and K-L grade II got an averaged preoperative score of (70.15 +/- 3.79) and postoperative score of (82.18 +/- 3.92). The patients with moderate hip osteoarthritis and K-L grade III got an averaged preoperative score of (57.12 +/- 2.19) and postoperative score of (89.94 +/- 1.13) score. The patients with serious hip osteoarthritis and K-L grade IV got an averaged preoperative score of (48.63 +/- 2.21) and postoperative score of (90.76 +/- 1.14); the patients with very serious hip osteoarthritis and K-L grade IV got an averaged preoperative score of (42.67 +/- 3.17) and postoperative score of (91.97 +/- 2.24); the patients with extremely serious hip osteoarthritis and K-L grade IV got an averaged preoperative score of (36.46 +/- 2.96) and postoperative score of (82.69 +/- 1.19). There were significant differences in scores of all groups before and after treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe hip osteoarthritis should be treated according to its serious degree such as slight, moderate and severe, as well as based on its X-ray classification, which is the best method to get satisfactory results.