Due to this reduced activity – not moving the body much – muscles that control the hip joint can become weaker, which may make it even more difficult to perform daily activities.
OrthoInfo, a medical website, explains that in osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the hip joint gradually wears away over time. As the cartilage wears away, it becomes frayed and rough, and the protective joint space between the bones decreases.
This can result in bone rubbing on bone. To make up for the lost cartilage, the damaged bones may start to grow outward and form bone spurs (osteophytes). Because of this, people with arthritis may feel as though their hip is stiff and their motion is limited.
Sometimes people actually feel a sense of “catching, snapping or clicking within the hip”. The pain is usually felt in the groin, but also may be felt on the side of the hip, the buttock and occasionally down into the knee.