Differentiation, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, and rapidly progressive osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, and rapidly progressive osteoarthritis are hip arthropathies that result in marked pain and disability. Although these diseases share features of arthritis-like symptoms and are all treated with total hip arthroplasty, they are separate diseases with distinct epidemiologic, radiographic, and histopathologic findings. In this article, the authors present clinical tips and techniques that will aid the surgeon in diagnosing and treating these different entities.