Final answer:
Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of hip disability, leading to pain and reduced mobility in the hip joint. Hip replacement surgery is a treatment option when other measures do not provide relief. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis also significantly impact joint health.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most common cause of hip disability is osteoarthritis of the hip joint, which is a degenerative joint disease that leads to the breakdown of cartilage and bone. This condition can cause significant pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced mobility in the hip. Aside from aging and wear-and-tear on the joints, other factors such as autoimmune diseases, infections, or genetics can contribute to different forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own tissues, causing inflammation in the joints.
Hip replacement surgery, or total hip arthroplasty, is often utilized to alleviate the pain and restore joint mobility associated with severe osteoarthritis, when other treatments like exercise, stress reduction on joints, and pain medications are not sufficient. This surgical procedure involves replacing the diseased or damaged hip with an artificial joint.