Snapping Hip

Snapping hip Syndrome for most patients is an annoyance but this can lead to pain and dysfunction, especially those doing activity. As the name indicates, snapping hip syndrome is when a snapping sensation or popping is felt in the hip. 

Causes

1. Occurs because a muscle or tendon in your hip moves over a bony protrusion.
2. Tightness in muscles and or tendons in surrounding hip
3. Sports such as dance where there is a lot of bending at the hip
4. Young athletes because of tightness in the muscle structures during growth spurts

Signs and Symptoms

1. Snapping sensation or popping sound in the hip when you walk, get up from a chair or swing your leg around

Internal (Iliopsoas tendon/hip flexor)

1. Pain is usually felt in the front of the hip
2. Pain occurs when you bend the hip and straighten the hip
3. Tendon moves over and back of the thigh bone (femur) which leads to the ‘snapping’ feeling
4. Iliopsoas tendon can also catch on the bony prominences at the front of the hip causing pain. 

Intra-articular (loose bodies/labrum tear)

1. Labrum can tear which leads to cartilage damage that floats in the joint and can cause the hip to ‘lock up’ which can give a snapping sensation causing pain
2. Treatment is usually surgery

External (IT Band)

1. IT Band passes over the greater trochanter
2. IT band seems always tight
3. The movement over the trochanter causes the snap
4. *Most Common*

Diagnosis

1. Physical Exam
2. X-ray to look for bony abnormalities
3. MRI if warranted

Treatment

Nonsurgical Treatment

1. Decrease activity of modify activity
2. NSAIDS
3. Rest
4. Physical Therapy
5. Corticosteroid Injection

Surgical

1. Hip arthroscopy (remove/repair labrum)

Risks without Treatment

1. Can lead to Bursitis  in the hip
2. Labrum Tear

Those at Risk

• Those involved in sports
• Young athletes
• Dancers