Research from Dr Mark Scholes is helping improve our understanding of hip osteoarthritis and how it develops across the lifespan.
“Hip osteoarthritis is a common and often life-altering condition, with one in four adults expected to develop it during their lifetime,” Dr Scholes says.
“My work focuses on identifying individuals who may be on a trajectory toward more advanced hip disease, with the aim of supporting earlier, non-surgical interventions.”
As part of this, Dr Scholes validated a questionnaire to better understand symptom severity and quality of life in young adults with hip pain.
“Using this questionnaire, we found that a more pronounced thigh bone shape, called cam morphology, was associated with worse symptoms in young adults with hip pain,” he explains.
“Interestingly, this bone shape was also linked to altered movement patterns during demanding activities such as running, highlighting the complex interplay between hip shape, symptoms, and movement in people with hip pain.”
His next step will be to examine the symptom trajectories of young adults with hip pain over a period of five years.
“Ultimately, I hope to use this information to develop an exercise intervention to improve the lives of young adults with hip pain and prevent or slow the development of hip osteoarthritis.”
