Is that dangerous?

Most bursitis is sterile, which means that it is not caused by the invasion of pathogens, such as bacteria or viruses, but rather by an incorrect or overloading of the joint. These are harmless and heal completely within a few weeks, while protecting the joint and providing symptom-oriented therapy. Painkillers and cooling of the joint are recommended.

Bursitits trochanterica can also be triggered by pathogenic germs that have either been infiltrated via the bloodstream from another part of the body or entered the joint from outside through an open injury.Since the capsule of the bursa is not particularly tight, it is not difficult for the pathogens to overcome it and cause an inflammation. In this case, in addition to the relief and cooling of the joint, a pathogen-adapted drug therapy to eliminate the pathogens is necessary to bring about healing. If this form of inflammation is not detected or treated appropriately, the risk of chronification is greatly increased, resulting in adhesions and movement restrictions. All in all, an adequate therapy leads to a healing without consequences, so that an inflammation of the bursa of the hip can be classified as rather harmless. You can find additional information under: How long could my bursitis last?

Diagnosis

If a patient suffers from stress-related hip pain, a specialist should be consulted urgently. The diagnosis of bursitis of the hip usually takes place in several steps. At the beginning an extensive doctor-patient consultation (anamnesis) must be carried out.

During this conversation, the affected patient should describe the perceived symptoms as detailed as possible. In addition, an extensive physical examination should be performed, during which both the painful hip joint and the lymph node status must be determined. Besides the examination of the impaired hip joint, the healthy joint must also be examined.

Only in this way can a comparative assessment of the two hips be made. In case of suspected bursitis of the hip, both sides are first examined for differences in heat. In addition, palpation of the inflamed joint may cause pain on palpation.

Following the physical examination, during which the range of motion of the affected hip is also assessed, a blood sample is usually taken and the blood samples are subsequently examined in the laboratory. In case of an inflammation of the bursa of the hip, certain parameters are significantly elevated (e.g. C-reactive protein, leucocytes). Nevertheless, bursitis can still be present if the inflammation parameters in the blood sample show completely normal values.

In such cases it is an overload-induced bursitis. Subsequently, an additional ultrasound of the affected hip can be performed. With this imaging procedure, the bursa in the hip can be made visible, inflammatory processes can be detected and their possible cause can be revealed.

In rare cases, an MRI of the hip can also be useful. The MRI shows the soft tissues – the bursa of the hip – particularly well. As a side effect, the MRI ́s of the hip can also be used to assess the hip joint with regard to inflammation and cartilage damage.