Hip conditions and treatment
Are you experiencing hip pain or hip complaints? A clear understanding of your hip condition helps you make the right choices. Discover the most common hip conditions here and which treatments are suitable for them.
Hip conditions
35 conditionsNot sure which condition matches your complaints? Use the symptom explorer.
Go to the symptom explorerJoint and cartilage
Conditions of the hip joint itself: cartilage, bone shape, labrum and blood supply.
Hip Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease characterised by cartilage thinning and other degenerative changes in the joint. It literally means “cartilage thinning”.
Femoroacetabular impingement
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a condition of the hip joint in which the femoral head (the ball-shaped end of the femur) and the acetabulum (the cup-shaped socket in the pelvis) do not fit together properly. This can lead to pain and restricted movement in the joint.
Labral Tear
A labral tear of the hip is damage to the labrum, the cartilage located around the rim of the hip socket.
Hip Dysplasia
Hip dysplasia (DDH) refers to an “unstable hip”. This means that the hip socket has not fully developed over the femoral head. This may be a congenital abnormality, or it may develop during growth.
Avascular Necrosis
Avascular necrosis (AVN), also known as osteonecrosis, is a condition where a part of the bone tissue dies due to an interrupted blood supply to that area.
Acetabular Retroversion
Acetabular retroversion means that the hip socket is shallow. This causes instability of the hip joint at the posterior aspect. This is a congenital anomaly or develops during growth.
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE)
SCFE stands for Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. It is a condition where the growth plate (physis) of the femoral head slips relative to the rest of the femur. This most commonly occurs in children and teenagers, especially during growth spurts.
Legg-Calvé-Perthes (LCP)
Legg-Calvé-Perthes (LCP) is a condition that occurs when the blood supply to the femoral head is temporarily interrupted, resulting in osteonecrosis (bone death) of the femoral head. This can lead to damage to the bone tissue, loss of bone structure, and ultimately loss of the hip joint.
Synovial Chondromatosis
Synovial chondromatosis is a rare condition in which cartilaginous nodules (chondromas) form in the synovium, the membrane lining the joint. These nodules can detach from the synovium and float freely within the joint, leading to various symptoms and complications.
Tendons and muscles
Overload, tendinopathy, tendon tears and bursitis around the hip.
Gluteal Tendinopathy
Gluteal tendinopathy is a condition where the tendons of the gluteal muscles (gluteus muscles) become overloaded. This often leads to pain on the outside of the hip, a complaint that can significantly impact daily functioning.
Hip bursitis (trochanteric)
Hip bursitis (trochanteric bursitis) is an inflammation of the bursa on the outer side of the hip. It causes pain at the side of the hip, often worse when lying on that side, climbing stairs or walking for long periods. It is rarely a stand-alone condition; usually an underlying problem is driving it.
Iliopsoas Tendinopathy
Iliopsoas tendinopathy is an overuse injury of one of the tendons at the front of the hip (the psoas, also known as the hip flexor). This tendon attaches to the lower back, pelvis, and the front of the thigh, and runs through the groin, often resulting in groin pain.
Adductor Tendinopathy
Adductor tendinopathy is an injury where the tendons on the inside of the thigh (adductors) become overloaded. These tendons connect the adductors to the pubic bone and the inside of the knee.
Hamstring Tendinopathy
Hamstring tendinopathy is caused by overuse of the tendons at the back of the thigh. These tendons connect the hamstrings to the ischial tuberosity (sit bone) and the back of the knee. They play a crucial role: they provide stability to the pelvis and knee, extend the hip, and flex the knee.
Gluteal Tear
A gluteal tear is a condition where there is a tear in the tendons of the gluteal muscles. This can cause pain on the outside of the hip, making it difficult to walk, sit, or lie on the affected hip.
Hamstring Rupture
A hamstring rupture or hamstring tear is an injury in which the tendons at the back of the thigh (hamstrings) partially or completely tear. These tendons connect the hamstrings to the ischial tuberosity and the back of the knee.
Rectus Femoris Tendinopathy
Rectus femoris tendinopathy is a condition where one of the tendons at the front of the hip (rectus femoris) is overloaded. This tendon attaches to the front of the pelvic brim and the knee. This can cause pain at the front of the thigh, as well as in the groin.
TFL Tendinopathy
Tensor fascia lata (TFL) tendinopathy is an overuse injury of the muscle and tendon at the front/side of the hip. The TFL tendon attaches to the front of the pelvic crest and extends to the outside of the knee.
Rectus femoris rupture
A rectus femoris rupture or tear is a condition in which one of the tendons at the front of the hip (rectus femoris) is torn. This tendon attaches to the front of the pelvic crest and the knee. This can cause pain in the front of the thigh, as well as in the groin.
PLAC lesion or injury
A PLAC lesion or injury (Pyramidalis, Ligamentum anterior pubis, Adductor longus Complex injury) is a tear in the adductor muscles (muscles on the inside of the thigh) that can also extend into the abdominal muscles. This tear can develop gradually or suddenly (traumatically).
Nerve and deep gluteal
Complaints caused by entrapment or irritation of nerves behind and below the hip.
Deep Gluteal Syndrome (DGS)
Deep Gluteal Syndrome (DGS) is a condition characterised by pain in the buttock region, typically due to compression of the sciatic nerve within the deeper structures of the buttock. This can lead to pain in the buttock region, sometimes radiating into the leg.
Ischiofemoral impingement
Ischiofemoral impingement is a condition in which the sit bone and the lesser part of the femoral neck pinch together. This can cause deep buttock pain or pain at the back of the hip, sometimes radiating into the leg.
After a hip replacement
Problems that can occur after a total hip replacement or resurfacing.
Loosening of a hip replacement
With loosening, the implant gradually loses its firm bond with the bone. The hip becomes painful again, usually years after a well functioning replacement.
Instability and dislocation of a hip replacement
With instability, the head of the implant slips partly or fully out of the socket. This gives an insecure feeling and sometimes a true dislocation.
Iliopsoas impingement after a hip replacement
The iliopsoas tendon can rub over the rim of the cup after a hip replacement. This typically causes groin pain when standing up, on stairs and when lifting the leg.
Infection of a hip replacement
A periprosthetic joint infection is an infection of the tissue around a hip replacement. It can occur shortly after surgery, but also years later through bacteria from another source.
Extra-articular impingement
With extra-articular impingement, structures outside the hip joint itself collide, for example bone against bone or tendon against implant. This causes pain in specific positions.
Capsular Dehiscence
Capsular dehiscence of the hip means there is a tear or opening in the capsule of the hip joint. The capsule is a strong layer of connective tissue that encloses the hip joint and provides stability.
Lower back and pelvis
Complaints from the lower back, the SI joint or the pubic bone that mimic hip pain.
Lumbar radiculopathy
In lumbar radiculopathy a nerve root in the lower back becomes irritated or compressed. This causes radiating leg pain, often below the knee, sometimes with tingling, numbness or weakness.
Lumbar facet joint pain
Facet joint pain is wear or irritation of the small joints at the back of the lower spine. It causes low back pain that can radiate into the buttock and hip, typically worse when leaning backwards or standing for long periods.
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction
The sacroiliac joint connects the sacrum to the pelvis. Overload or restricted movement of this joint causes pain just next to the lower back, over the buttock, and sometimes radiating into the groin or thigh.
Lumbar spinal stenosis
In lumbar spinal stenosis the spinal canal in the lower back is narrowed. Typical is pain and heaviness in the legs while walking, which disappears when bending forward or sitting.
Pubic-related groin pain
The 'os pubis' is the pubic bone. Pubic-related groin pain means experiencing groin pain originating from the pubic bone.
Sacroiliitis
Sacroiliitis is inflammation of the sacroiliac joint. Unlike mechanical overload, this is true inflammation, with night pain and pronounced morning stiffness.
Coccydynia (tailbone pain)
Coccydynia is pain at the tailbone. The pain mainly occurs when sitting, when getting up from a chair and when leaning backwards.