History (hip joint)

The history of the hip joint should cover the following areas:

• pain:
  • site and radiation: groin, buttock, thigh or knee
  • quality
  • timing: at night ?
  • duration, exacerbating and relieving factors
  • hip joint pain is classically a deep grinding pain felt in the groin, down the front of the thigh and in the knee. It may present with pain in the knee alone and it rarely extends below the knee.
    
    
• stiffness
  
  
• limp / leg shortening on the affected side
  
  
• functional impairment:
  • problems sleeping - alone an indicator for surgery
  • walking distance / use of aids, walking sticks
  • home circumstances - bungalow, stairs
  • problems putting socks on, doing shopping, etc
    
    
• previous treatment
  • conservative: drugs, stick
  • surgical