The young adult with hip pain: diagnosis and medical treatment, circa 2004.

Hip pain in young adults (18-35 years old) often is characterized by nonspecific symptoms, normal imaging studies, and vague findings from the history and physical examination. In younger patients, pain is more likely to be caused by congenital hip dysplasia, athletic injuries, trauma, spondyloarthropathy, and by conditions that first appear during this stage of life, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, intravenous drug use, alcoholism, or corticosteroid use. The history and physical examination may narrow the diagnosis to intraarticular, extraarticular, or referred sources of pain. Plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging are the preferred initial imaging procedures. Analyses of the blood, urine, and synovial fluid can be helpful in diagnosing inflammation, infection, and systematic rheumatic disease. Fractures, infection, and ischemic necrosis should be ruled out early because they require immediate treatment to prevent damage to the joint. Hip trauma at a young age increases the risk of osteoarthritis with advancing age, and, unlike most older adults, young adults receiving total hip replacement can expect revision surgery. Medical treatment often involves patient education, physical therapy, and pharmacotherapy. Acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and opioids for pain and antibiotics for infection are the most often prescribed drugs for this population.