Snapping hip

Further to the possible causes for hip pain outside a phenomenon called snapping hip in colloquial language, also known as Coxa saltans. Usually it is assumed that the snapping hip is a jumping in and out of the thigh bone in the hip joint socket with the associated hip pain outside, which is not the case. The snapping hip is caused by a part of a tendon-like ligament, the tractus iliotibialis, getting caught on a bony protrusion (osteophyte) of the femur (at the greater trochanter) due to a weakness in the connective tissue.

If the movement is continued, the resistance is overcome snap-like and the tractus is again in its correct position. This causes a snapping feeling, sometimes you can even hear the snapping hip as a dull sound.The snapping hip is a disease predominantly of middle age and occurs both during flexion and extension of the hip joint, typically when walking. The majority of people with this condition have no limitations or complaints.

However, some people, including those who do a lot of sports or have a congenital malposition in the hip, sometimes complain of hip pain on the outside. These can occur when the joints and ligaments have been strained beyond their limits or the extent of the snapping hip is very pronounced. If complaints occur, there are a number of possible treatment measures.

In principle, regular physiotherapy is appropriate here. The aim is to strengthen the tendon-like strand with targeted exercises and also to make it more elastic, which can lead to a significant improvement in the snapping hip. Generally pain-relieving agents are useful for external hip pain that is in the foreground, for example in the form of Diclofenac voltars.

Cortisone injections can be injected if an inflammatory process increases the pain. If the pain is still too severe, it is possible to inject a local anesthetic directly into the affected area, which provides rapid but short-term relief. Finally, there is the possibility of an operation. In this procedure, which is only performed in exceptional cases, the snapping tendon cord can be fixed to the bony prominence over which it passes.