Physiotherapy & InjectionsIntra-articular Corticosteroid With Hyaluronic Acid Plus Physiotherapy for Hip Pathologies (NON-OP HIP)

Hip pathologies that cause pain and functional limitations are common in the general population. These can include femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), labral tears and mild osteoarthritis (OA) among others. While more severe and symptomatic cases may require surgical intervention, the treatment of mild-to-moderate cases is often treated without surgery to relieve pain, improve function, and delay surgical intervention.

Non-operative treatments of hip pathologies consist of a multitude of options. A common non-operative intervention includes intra-articular injections, including corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid. Evidence has demonstrated that corticosteroids have fast acting effects which tend to diminish within a few months, while hyaluronic acid has a delayed time of onset and demonstrates clinical benefit for a longer period of time. Studies have evaluated combinations of corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid, hoping to take advantage of the fast-acting relief of corticosteroid and the longer lasting benefits of corticosteroid.

Physiotherapy is also a frequent non-operative intervention used to relieve pain and increase function in patients with hip pathologies. While many studies have looked at intra-articular injections and physiotherapy as independent non-operative possibilities for hip conditions, the combined effect of these two have not received much evaluation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy in conjunction with a combined corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid intraarticular injection on patient outcomes when compared to a corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid intraarticular injection alone.