Overdiagnosed sciatica and stenosis, underdiagnosed hip arthritis.

A retrospective analysis of 43 consecutive patients with hip osteoarthritis was performed. Twenty-four patients had previously been diagnosed with hip osteoarthritis, and 19 were treated solely for coexistent spine-related disorders without recognition of hip osteoarthritis. Four of 19 patients had previous spinal surgery for sciatica or spinal stenosis, 6 of 19 had epidural injections, 17 of 19 had magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, and 3 of 19 had electrodiagnostic studies.