Skip to main content

Hip Osteoarthritis. Pathogenesis

 

An original view on the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis of the hip joint.

Coxarthrosis is a disease that can develop either independently or against the background of other pathological conditions: congenital hip dislocation, Perthes' disease, aseptic necrosis of the femoral head, and some others. From our point of view, the basis of its pathogenesis, as a rule, is the pathology of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). This may involve its complete or partial damage, changes in size, mechanical properties, and the localization of attachment areas.

The pathogenesis of coxarthrosis is a clear illustration of the Law of Bioinduction that we have established. LCF dysfunction results in disruption of normal hip mechanics. In the single-support period of the step and the single-support orthostatic position, it begins to function not as a lever of the second kind, but as a lever of the first kind. Accordingly, only the upper sectors of the femoral head and acetabulum are constantly loaded; the values of the actual average daily stresses in them significantly increase. The bioeffective stresses that arise in this case induce a complex of biological processes.

In the upper sector of the hip joint, the cartilage wears out and becomes thinner. Decentration of the femoral head and its cranial subluxation gradually develop. Microfractures of trabeculae are observed in the bone tissue. The majority of ongoing biological processes aim to neutralize bio-effective stresses. Osteophytes form on the periphery of the articular surfaces, which increases the area of their contact, and at the same time deformation of the articular ends of the bones occurs. The first and second reduce the intensity of internal forces in the bone elements. As the acetabular canal has lost its functional role, the acetabular fossa is eliminated, and the facies lunata expands.

In the subchondral layer of the femoral head, a layer of compact bone tissue appears and gradually thickens, reducing local stresses in the underlying spongy substance. There is a reorientation of the trabecular systems of the proximal end of the femur. The first system of bone trabeculae is strengthened, the second system is eliminated. Bone cysts appear and enlarge as one of the ways to eliminate stresses concentrations inside the bone at the ends of microcracks. The presence of bioeffective stresses is also reflected in soft tissues: fibrosis is observed in tendons, joint capsules and muscles, and in the areas of their attachment there are foci of heterotopic ossification.

There is a shortening of the femoral neck and an increase in the femoral neck-diaphyseal angle. The size and shape of the entire proximal femur changes, and the depth of the acetabulum increases. To a large extent, the listed phenomena are compensatory processes. In some cases, they change the actual average daily stresses, and in others, the optimal average daily stresses; the meaning of both is to level out the existing bioeffective stresses.

The mechanics of a hip joint affected by arthrosis is the mechanics of a hip joint that is devoid of LCF. In this case, the kinematics of locomotion changes significantly and their energy intensity increases. Bioeffective stresses appear not only in the hip joint area, but also in all adjacent elements of the musculoskeletal system, which leads to their pathological changes. With a reduced adaptive potential of tissues and significant violations of the mechanics of the lower limb girdle, bioeffective stresses remain uncompensated. This gradually leads to complete destruction of the hip joint, as well as gross changes in the anatomical elements of adjacent kinematic chains.

Keywords: ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, abductor muscle group, hip joint, biomechanics, osteoarthritis, pathogenesis

.                                                                     

In translating to English, the author is assisted by ChatGPT (version 3.5) and the Google Translate service.

If you notice an error, please let us know!

The first version of the text in:

Архипов-Балтийский СВ. Рассуждение о морфомеханике. Норма. В 2 т. Т. 2. Гл. 5-6. испр. и доп. изд. Калининград, 2004. (Archipov-Baltic SV. Reasoning about Morphomechanics. The norm – Kaliningrad, 2004. [Rus]) [aleph.rsl.ru

BLOG CONTENT

ETIOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LCF in 2026 (May)

LCF in 2026 (May )  (Quotes from articles and books published in May   2026 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)   Kim, P. S., Kang, C., Lee, J. K., & Hwang, J. M. (2026). Hip arthroscopy to treat symptomatic paralabral cysts: a retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes. Arthroscopy and Orthopedic Sports Medicine , 13 (1), 27-34.     [i]     e-aosm.org   Ko, H. Y. (2026). Vascular Anatomy of the Extremities and Lungs. In Practical Functional Anatomy for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation: A Guide for Physiatrists and Rehabilitation Specialists (pp. 191-223). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.      [ii] link.springer.com   Aiba, H., Yamaguchi, M., Kimura, H., & Murakami, H. (2026). Advances in limb-salvage surgery and reconstruction for pediatric bone and soft tissue tumors. Frontiers in Pediatrics , 14 , 1817788.      [iii]     pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov   Bajwa, A., Villar, R., ...

LCF in 2026 (June)

LCF in 2026 (June )  (Quotes from articles and books published in June   2026 mentioning the ligamentum capitis femoris)     Turner, A. H., Kernan, C. E., Laing, A., Pritchard, A. C., Stocker, M. R., Irmis, R. B., ... & Nesbitt, S. J. (2026). A new shuvosaurid (Archosauria, Poposauroidea) from the Late Triassic (Norian) Hayden Quarry of New Mexico, USA. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology , e2618182.   [i]   tandfonline.com   Wang, F., Mu, Y., Sun, J., & Chi, H. Traumatic necrosis of femoral head: a case report. Journal of Clinical Medicine Research. 2026;7(1)14-18.   [ii]    en.front-sci.com   Sha, S. Y., Lang, X. X., Liu, Y., Li, C. B., & Yin, Q. F. L‐Capsulotomy and Anatomic Repair of Zona Orbicularis: Hip Arthroscopy Capsular Management for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome. Arthroscopy Techniques , e70149.   [iii]    arthroscopyjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com   Garlapaty, A. R....

1845HollsteinL

  Fragments from the book Hollstein L. Compendium der Anatomie des Menschen (1865). The author discusses the anatomy of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF), and mentions its synonyms. The text is prepared for machine translation using a service built into the blog from Google or your web browser.   Quote p. 144 Das Lig am. teres s. rotundum femoris (Fig. 50, 7.) hat eine dreieckige Gestalt, und ist mit seiner Basis in dem Fundus acetabuli, mit seiner rundlichen Spitze in der Fovea capitis ossis femoris befestigt. Es besteht aus einem Bündel Sehnenfasern, und erhält von der Synovialmembran einen scheidenformigen Ueberzug; bisweilen existirt letzterer allein, und manchmal felilt das Band ganz und gar. Fig. 50. Seitliche Ansicht der Bänder des Beckens und Hüftgelenks.   Quote p. 145 Die weite Synovialmembran überzieht den Schenkelkopf, geht alsdann als Scheide des Ligam. teres zur Gelenkpfanne über, welche sie ebenfalls auskleidet, und schlägt sich hierauf über die ...

1753AstrucJ

  Content [i] Annotation [ii] Original text (in French) [iii] English translation [iv] Source & links [v] Notes [vi] Authors & Affiliations [vii] Keywords [i] Annotation Fragments from the book: Astruc J . Conjectures sur les memoires originaux dont il paroit que Moyse s'est servi pour composer le livre de la Genese (Conjectures on the Original Documents Which Moses Apparently Used in Compiling the Book of Genesis, 1753). In analyzing the book of Genesis, the author cites a French text mentioning a hip injury, damage to the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF), and the consequences of an accident. An Russian translation is available at: 1753AstrucJ . [ii] Original text (in French) Quote p. 176 Genesis. Chap. XXXII A 25. Et quand cest hommeld vid qu’il ne le pouvoit vaincre, il toucha l'enrdroit de l'emboifiement de la hanche d'icelui: ainsi l'emboifiement de l'os de la hanche de Jacob fut entors quand l'homme luictoit avec lui.   Quote p. 177...

1665LindenJA

  Content [i] Annotation [ii] Original text (in Latin) [iii] English translation [iv] Source & links [v] Notes [vi] Authors & Affiliations [vii] Keywords [i] Annotation Fragment from the book: Linden JA . Magni Hippocratis Coi Opera Omnia Graece Et Latine Edita. Vol. I. (1665). This article presents an excerpt from the treatise «Mochlicus» (Instruments of Reductions) by  Hippocrates of Cos    (b. 460 BC), translated into Latin. The author describes for the first time the localization and area of distal attachment of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) describit, mentionem in alio tractatu ponens. A translation of this article into Russian is available at the link: 1665LindenJA .  The original source in Greek sees at the link: 1844LittreE , and in English at: 1886AdamsF . [ii] Original text (in Latin) Quote pp. 294-295 Vol. I. Ossium natura II. Ipsum aurem femur foras, & in anteriore parte incurvum est. Caput autem ejus appendix eft r...

2008DoddsMK_McCormackD

  Content [i]   Annotation [ii]   Original text [iii]   References [iv]   Source  &  links [v]   Notes [vi]   Authors & Affiliations [vii]   Keywords [i]   Annotation Abstract of the article: Dodds MK et al . Transarticular stabilization of the immature femoral head: assessment of a novel surgical approach to the dislocating pediatric hip in a porcine model (2008). The article describes an experiment of reconstruction of ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) in pigs with the formation of a femoral tunnel. The text in Russian is available at the following link:  2008DoddsMK_McCormackD . [ii]   Original text Abstract Background: Acetabular dysplasia and hip instability are common in neuromuscular diseases such as spina bifida and cerebral palsy due to deranged muscle function around the hip. Occasionally in developmental dysplasia of the hip, persistent instability may be difficult to manage by standard treatments. It i...

1900BetheE

  Fragments of t he book Pollux J. Onomasticum (166-76) edited by E. Bethe (1900). In Greek the author calls ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) «ἰσχίον», and the concept of «ligament» is designated by the term «νεῦρον / ν εῦρα ».   The term «ἰσχίον»  was used by Rufus of Ephesus ( 2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV ). The fragment of the Onomasticum dealing  with the LCF was quoted by Giovanni Filippo Ingrassia ( 1603IngrassiaeIP ) . See our commentary at the link:   1900 BetheE  [Rus]. Quote  1. Βιβλίου Β. 186-187 [Grc] καιλεῖται δὲ καὶ τὸ νεῦρον τὸ  σ υνέχον τὴν κοτύλην πρὸ σ  τὸν μηρὸν ἰ σ χίον. ὁμώνυμον δ’ ἐ σ τιν αύτῷ καὶ τὸ ἄρθρον. καὶ τὸ μὲν [τῇ] κοτύλῃ [ σ υνηρμο σ μένον] ὀ σ τοῦν  σ τρογγύλον μηροῦ κεφαλὴ, μηρὸ σ  δὲ τὸ  ἁπ ὸ  το ύ το υ μὲχρ ι γονάτων  μὲρο σ , …  (original source: 1900BetheE , pp. 140-141 ) Quote 2. Βιβλίου Β. 234 [Grc] Νεῦρα  δ’  ἐστι σύνδεσμος ὀστῶν εἴκων τε καὶ τεινόμενος, ἀφ ̓ ὧν κ...

1803LarreyDJ

  Content [i] Annotation [ii] Original text [iii] English translation [iv] Source & links [v] Notes [vi] Authors & Affiliations [vii] Keywords [i] Annotation Fragment from the book: Larrey DJ. Relation historique et chirurgique de l'expedition de l'armée d'Orient, en Egypte et Syrie (Historical account and surgery of the expedition of the Army of the Orient, in Egypt and Syria, 1803). The author describes exarticulation in the hip joint and the technique of cutting the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF), which he calls the "interarticular ligament". The text in Russian is available at the following link: 1803LarreyDJ . [ii] Original text (France ) Quote pp. 325-328   Les praticiens qui ont proposé l'extirpation de la cuisse ne sont point d'accord sur la manière de la faire; cependant presque tous, craignant l'hémorragie de l'artère crurale, commencent par la ligature de ce vaisseau, forment ensuite un lambeau aux dépens des muscles ...

Vertebrates

VERTEBRATES According to the molecular clock, a specific method for dating phylogenetic events, vertebrates (Vertebrata) separated from arthropods (Arthropoda) 976±97 Ma (2004HedgesSB_ShoeJL). The latter began to dominate in species diversity with the Cambrian burst of radiation, which occurred 520 Ma (2010EdgecombeGD). This ratio in the fauna of the Earth is still preserved. Approximately 525 Ma, the phylum Chordates separated from the group of bilaterally symmetrical animals (1995ChenJY_ZhouGQ). In turn, the evolution of chordate organisms led to the formation of the first vertebrates at least 500 Ma, from which the jawed mouths 450-400 Ma descended, becoming the ancestors of the placoderms or "armored" fish (Placodermi) (1979 НаумовНП _ КарташевНН ). Sculptural reconstruction of the placoderm Coccosteus from the order Arthrodires, Middle Devonian, 393.3-382.7  Ma ; exposition of the Orlov Paleontological Museum (Moscow); photo by the author. The first cartilaginou...

2025ZhangY_MartinRL

  We publish without changes an excellent article on the biomechanics of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) by Zhang Y et al. «A finite element analysis model to support ligamentum teres function» (2025). This is an an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.  Journal of Hip Preservation Surgery A finite element analysis model to support ligamentum teres function Yongni Zhang , Jianing Wang , Linxia Gu , Hal David Martin , RobRoy L Martin Abstract The function of the ligamentum teres (LT) remains debated, particularly its role in limiting motion. The aim of this study was to use finite element analysis to assess LT stress during hip movements, which included external rotation with flexion. A 3D model of the hip joint, including the femoral hea...