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  • Hip greater trochanteric bursitis
  • Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS)
  • Hip abductor pain syndrome

  • 726.5 Enthesopathy of the hip region

  • M70.6 Trochanteric bursitis

Description

  • Pain over the greater trochanter, lateral thigh pain2
  • Differs from hip pointer (iliac crest contusion) based on location of injury/trauma
  • Pain on transition between standing and lying down
  • Direct trauma
    • Fall onto lateral hip
    • Direct blow
  • Idiopathic2

Essentials of Diagnosis

  • Friction between iliotibial band (ITB), bursa, and trochanter
    • Pressure from greater trochanter and overlying muscles compress bursa into the trochanter, creating pain and discomfort
    • Bursa is next to femur, between insertion of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus
    • Functions as a shock absorber

General Considerations

  • Concern regarding possible slipped growth plate in younger children
  • Stress fractures or blood-supply disruption to the hip may appear later

Demographics

  • Common in runners

Signs and Symptoms

  • Audible or palpable snapping over lateral hip3
  • Burning sensation
  • Point tender with palpation
  • Radicular pain into buttock, down leg into knee
  • Limited motion adduction and internal rotation
  • Pain with rising up and down from chair
  • Swelling
  • Redness
  • Ecchymosis, if caused by direct trauma3
  • During static weight bearing, patient may rotate femur to clear ITB from the greater trochanter
  • Painful resisted hip external rotation
  • Painful passive stretching of ITB, hip extension/flexion
  • Weakness in hip abduction

Functional Implications

  • Antalgic gait
  • Painful end-ranges during ambulation
  • Patient may increase weight bearing on the unaffected extremity
  • Pain and weakness as ITB passes over greater trochanter
  • Pain-limited functional activities (ADLs, physical and athletic activities)
  • Difficulty sleeping on affected side

Possible Contributing Causes

  • Trauma
  • Poor lower-extremity mechanics, (e.g., running mechanics, pronators)
  • Tight hip adductors
  • Hip musculature imbalance
  • ITB tightness
  • Weak hip abductors
  • Sacral dysfunction
  • OA of hip or lumbar spine
  • Degenerative disk disease/low back pain
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Leg-length discrepancy (true or perceived)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Pes planus

  • Osteoarthritis (OA)
  • ITB syndrome
  • Femoral head osteonecrosis
  • Femoral-neck stress fracture
  • Lumbar disk herniation
  • Lumbar degenerative disc disease
  • Lumbar spinal stenosis
  • Hip arthritis
  • Septic arthritis
  • Hip avascular necrosis
  • Lumbar facet syndrome
  • Lumbar spine compression fracture
  • Abductor muscle strain
  • Ischial or iliopectineal bursitis
  • Tendinitis of gluteus medius, gluteus maximus
  • Snapping hip syndrome
  • Sciatica
  • Metastatic tumor
  • Inguinal and femoral hernia

Imaging

  • Radiographs of spine and hip
  • MRI for soft tissue and fracture
  • Bone scan for stress fracture and hip necrosis
  • Diagnostic ultrasound

  • Positive Ober’s test2
  • Radiographs negative

Medications

  • To hospital for imaging
  • To physician ...

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