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Shoulder
Hip & Shoulder
Hip and Shoulder: Two Joints, One Assessment Route
Both are ball-and-socket joints where the imaging is often clear but the timing decision is not. The review answers the same two questions for each: is an operation indicated, and is now the right point to have it.
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Symptom Check
Do these sound familiar?
None of this is a diagnosis. It is a way of deciding whether it is worth sending your imaging for a specialist to read.
- Hip: groin pain on walking, worse on rising from low seats
- Hip: difficulty putting on socks or getting in and out of a car
- Hip: a limp that has become permanent rather than occasional
- Shoulder: pain reaching overhead, behind the back, or lying on that side
- Shoulder: weakness lifting the arm, or a sense the joint may slip
- Shoulder: stiffness that has progressed over months in both directions of movement
Seek care locally, not remotely
Sudden inability to bear weight after a fall, or a shoulder that has dislocated and not reduced, needs assessment locally the same day.
What It Might Be
Diagnoses and Treatment Options
Two joints, assessed separately. Jump to the one you need.
Hip
Hip cases are usually clearer on imaging than knee cases — a standing pelvis X-ray answers most of the question. The harder decision is timing.
Common diagnoses
Hip Osteoarthritis
Joint space loss on a standing pelvis X-ray. Groin pain and restricted internal rotation are the typical clinical picture.
Avascular Necrosis (AVN)
Loss of blood supply to the femoral head. Staging matters — early-stage AVN has joint-preserving options that late-stage does not.
Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)
Abnormal contact between femoral head and socket, typically in younger active patients. Assessed on X-ray plus MRI.
Labral Tear
Often accompanies FAI. Treated on the underlying mechanics rather than in isolation.
Hip Dysplasia
A shallow socket that loads the edge of the joint. May be a candidate for realignment rather than replacement in younger patients.
Treatment options
Listed as clinical facts. Whether any option applies to you is decided case by case on your imaging and history — no outcome is promised here.
| Option | Typically considered when | Inpatient stay & early recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Structured non-operative care | Early arthritis, or while a timing decision is made | No admission. Reassessed at 6–12 weeks |
| Hip arthroscopy | Impingement or labral pathology in a joint without established arthritis | 1–2 nights. Protected weight-bearing initially |
| Joint-preserving surgery for early AVN | Selected early-stage cases before femoral head collapse | Varies with technique and stage |
| Total hip replacement | End-stage arthritis or AVN with collapse, where pain and function are no longer controlled | 5–7 nights. Written precaution list for the first six weeks |
| Revision hip replacement | Loosening, wear, instability or infection after a previous replacement | Longer stay; varies with findings and whether staged treatment is needed |
Shoulder
Shoulder cases turn on tear size, tissue quality and how long the problem has been present — three things an MRI report states directly.
Common diagnoses
Rotator Cuff Tear
Partial or full thickness. Size, retraction and muscle quality on MRI drive whether repair is realistic.
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
Progressive stiffness in all directions. Follows a long but generally self-limiting course; surgery is rarely the first answer.
Shoulder Instability
Recurrent dislocation or subluxation. Bone loss on CT changes the operation that is appropriate.
Subacromial Impingement
Pain on overhead reach. Usually managed non-operatively in the first instance.
AC Joint Arthritis
Pain localised to the top of the shoulder, worse reaching across the body.
Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Less common than hip or knee. Replacement options differ depending on whether the cuff is intact.
Treatment options
Listed as clinical facts. Whether any option applies to you is decided case by case on your imaging and history — no outcome is promised here.
| Option | Typically considered when | Inpatient stay & early recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapy and injection | First line for impingement, frozen shoulder and many partial cuff tears | No admission or day case |
| Arthroscopic subacromial decompression | Impingement that has not settled with a fair trial of non-operative care | Day case to 1 night |
| Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair | Full-thickness tears with repairable tissue | 2–3 nights. Sling and staged rehabilitation protocol |
| Arthroscopic stabilisation | Recurrent instability without significant bone loss | 1–2 nights |
| Latarjet / bone block procedure | Recurrent instability with significant glenoid bone loss | 2–3 nights |
| Shoulder replacement (anatomic or reverse) | End-stage arthritis; which type depends on rotator cuff integrity | 3–5 nights |
What to Send
The Imaging a Consultant Actually Needs
Sending the right films the first time is the difference between a 48-hour answer and a two-week round trip of requests.
- The imaging report and the images themselves — PDF, JPG or DICOM
- A short history: when it started, what makes it worse, what you have already tried
- Any previous operation notes for the same joint or region
- Current medication, and any other medical conditions
- Your age, and what you need to get back to doing
Not sure what you have?
Send what you have. The coordinator checks whether anything essential is missing and tells you exactly what to ask your local hospital for — including the specific views.
Cost
Indicative Package Ranges for This Area
| Treatment Option | Estimated Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Total Hip Replacement (unilateral) | USD 10,500 – 16,800 |
| Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair | USD 5,200 – 9,000 |
| Shoulder Replacement | USD 11,000 – 17,000 |
Indicative package estimates compiled from publicly available partner-hospital price lists as of August 2026. Provided for comparison only — not a quotation. Your final figure depends on imaging findings, implant selection, other medical conditions and length of stay, and is confirmed in writing before admission.
Get a figure for your own case
Send your report and we return an itemised estimate for the options a consultant identifies — at no charge.
Who Reviews This
Consultants Who Take Hip & Shoulder Cases
Send the report even if you are unsure which subspecialty applies — routing it correctly is the coordinator’s job, not yours.
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FAQ
Hip & Shoulder — Questions Patients Ask
There is no single threshold. The consultant weighs the X-ray stage against how much the hip limits you day to day, your age and activity demand, and what non-operative options remain untried. If it reads as too early, the review says so and sets out what to watch for.
It depends on retraction and muscle quality, not only on size. Where a repair is not realistic, other options exist and are set out explicitly — including reverse shoulder replacement in appropriate cases. The review states which category the imaging places you in and why.
For hips, a standing pelvis X-ray plus a lateral view of the affected hip; MRI is added for AVN, impingement or labral questions. For shoulders, MRI (or MR arthrogram for instability) plus plain films; CT is added when bone loss needs measuring.
Yes. Send both sets of imaging in one submission. If two subspecialties are involved, both consultants are named in the written plan before you decide anything.
That is set by the treating team based on your recovery and thrombosis risk, and confirmed before discharge rather than promised in advance. Typical inpatient stays are listed in the treatment tables above so you can plan around a realistic range.
Ask about your own case
Attach your imaging report on WhatsApp. A coordinator confirms receipt the same working day and tells you if anything is missing.
Other Areas
Not the Right Page?
Knee
Osteoarthritis, meniscus tears, ligament injury and assessment for partial or total knee replacement.
Spine
Cervical and lumbar disc problems, sciatica, spinal stenosis, and when fusion is or is not indicated.
Sports Injury
ACL and ligament injury, cartilage damage, tendon problems and structured return-to-activity planning.
Have a Consultant Read Your Hip & Shoulder Imaging
Send your report today. A specialist review costs you nothing and carries no obligation to proceed.
English · 廣東話 · 普通話 | Replies Mon–Sat, 09:00–19:00 HKT
Medical Assessment
Submit Your Medical Assessment
Send your imaging and a short history. A consultant in the relevant subspecialty reviews it and you receive a written summary of the options identified — normally within 48 hours.
Prefer to message us?
WhatsApp is the fastest route. You can send photos of your report directly in the chat, in English, 廣東話 or 普通話.
Before you send
Tick what you already have. The message will list it for you — a complete first message is what makes a 48-hour turnaround possible.
Nothing is stored by this checklist. It only builds the text of your first message.
Your files are used only to arrange a specialist review and are not published anywhere.
Medical Disclaimer
The information on this website is provided for general reference and does not constitute a diagnosis, a treatment recommendation, or medical advice. It is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified physician, and no doctor–patient relationship is created by using this site or by submitting an assessment form. Treatment options, recovery times and outcomes vary between individuals and depend on clinical findings. IMC coordinates access to independent hospitals and their medical staff; the treating hospital and physician remain responsible for clinical decisions and care. If you are experiencing severe pain, loss of function, numbness or any emergency symptom, seek immediate care locally.
IMC arranges medical assessment, specialist appointments and treatment coordination only. IMC does not arrange flights, accommodation, visas or any other non-medical itinerary.