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IMPAKT-HiP

Preventing Hip Pain

IMPAKT-HiP: Ground-Breaking Research to Prevent Hip Osteoarthritis

 

A 5-year, $2.5 million study called IMPAKT-HiP (Investigations of Mobility, Physical Activity, and Knowledge in Hip Pain) is underway to prevent hip pain that may lead to hip osteoarthritis (OA). This ground-breaking work is led by Dr. John Esdaile, Scientific Director of Arthritis Research Canada.

 

Why is this research important?

 

The number of people with hip OA worldwide is already high and rising. 4.2% of Canadians over 50-years-old have been diagnosed with hip OA.

Hip OA is a disease in which cartilage (a rubbery material surrounding the end of the bones) wears down and can cause pain, stiffness and swelling in the hip joints. It is a major cause of disability, often limiting a person’s ability to stay active and do everyday activities at home and at work.

Kelly Barber, Assistant Chief of Coquitlam Fire & Rescue, shares his story of living with OA:

 

There is no cure for hip OA. Hip replacement surgery is the recommended treatment for severe hip OA. In Canada, hip OA is responsible for more than 90% of hip replacements. Wait times for these surgeries and recovery time can be lengthy, being a burden on the individual and the health care system.

IMPAKT-HiP researchers believe that prevention of hip OA is possible. The first critical step to delaying or preventing the development of hip OA is to determine the causes of hip pain through IMPAKT-HiP.

Dr. John Esdaile explains how determining the causes of hip pain has important implications for the lives of many:

 

Little is currently known about what causes hip pain. It is suspected, however, that doing certain types of physical activity may interact with a common condition in the hip joint called ‘femoroacetabular impingement’ (FAI), causing hip pain and leading to hip OA over time.

IMPAKT-HiP consists of 5 research projects dedicated to finding out more about the link between hip pain, physical activity, FAI, and hip OA.

 

Click the icons below to find out more about each project.

IMPAKT-HiP_Phase1-button   IMPAKT-HiP_Phase2   IMPAKT-HiP_Phase3   IMPAKT-HiP_Phase4