What is a Snapping Hip Syndrome?

A snapping hip syndrome (also known as the dancer’s hip) is a condition in which one hears a snapping sound or feels a snapping sensation in the hip when one walks, runs, or moves the legs around.

About 5 percent of the population has this condition. Although it can affect anyone, the snapping hip syndrome is seen to be more common in people between the ages 15 and 40.

The snapping hip syndrome usually occurs as a result of tightness in the muscles and tendons that surround the hip. People who are into sports and other activities that require frequent bending at the hip are more likely to develop this condition.

Symptoms of a Snapping Hip Syndrome

Symptomatic people (those who have the symptoms) may experience pain or weakness during the hip flexion and extension. These symptoms usually limit these people’s ability to participate in certain activities.

Those who have external snapping hip syndrome may have a gradual onset of snapping or pain felt on the greater trochanter area. Patients usually experience a sensation that their hip is dislocating.

Those with the interior snapping hip syndrome experience the painful sensation within the anterior groin. This is felt when they move their leg from flexion to extension or external rotation.

Diagnosing a Snapping Hip Syndrome

To diagnose the snapping hip syndrome, the doctor has to review the patient’s medical history, conduct a thorough physical exam, and in some cases, recommend some imaging tests.

The patient’s medical history is reviewed in order to determine the cause of the condition. If it is brought about by an injury, the doctor may ask the patient when and how it happened.

During the physical exam, the doctor will ask the patient to point out the site that hurts the most. He/she may also ask the patient to stand and move the hips in different directions. The doctor may feel the tendon while the patient is doing this.

Additional tests such as x-rays may be required to rule out other conditions of the bones or joints.

How It Is Treated

Nonsurgical Treatment

Initially, the condition is managed through conservative methods such as rest and activity modification. Depending on the cause and severity of the symptoms, the doctor may recommend additional treatment such as physical therapy and corticosteroid injections.

Surgical Treatment

Although it rarely happens, those who do not respond well to conservative treatment methods are recommended for surgery.

The type of surgery will depend on the cause of the snapping hip. The procedure can be an arthroscopic or open surgery.

What is a Pelvic Fracture?

A pelvic fracture is a break in the bony structure of the pelvis. This includes the hip bone, sacrum, and coccyx.

A fracture in the pelvis can either be stable or unstable, depending on the extent of hip damage.

In a stable pelvic fracture, there is only one break in the pelvic ring and the broken ends of the bone line up well. On the other hand, an unstable pelvic fracture is the type of fracture with two or more breaks in the pelvic ring. Unlike the stable type, the ends of the broken bone in an unstable fracture do not line up correctly.

Causes of Pelvic Fracture

Pelvic fractures can be caused by high-energy trauma such as a motorcycle collision or fall from a significant height and bone weakness or insufficiency.

Symptoms of a Pelvic Fracture

Pain is the most common symptom of a pelvic fracture. This is usually felt in the hip or groin area and worsens when the hip is moved such as when walking.

Aside from pain, there can also be tenderness in the groin, hip, lower back, or buttocks, swelling and bruising over the pelvic bones, numbness or tingling sensation in the upper thigh or genital area, and in cases of unstable pelvic fracture, heavy bleeding.

Diagnosing a Pelvic Fracture

Diagnosis of a pelvic fracture is made after a thorough physical exam and imaging tests.

During the physical exam, the doctor will assess the pelvis, hips, and legs. He/she will check for possibility of nerve injury or damage by evaluating the movement and sensation on the ankles, feet, and toes.

In most cases, imaging tests are requested in order to determine the complexity of the injury. These tests include x-rays, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.

How It Is Treated

Treatment plans for a pelvic fracture depend on several factors. These include the pattern of the fracture, the displacement of the bones, and the overall condition of the patient.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Nonsurgical treatment is usually recommended for stable fractures that are not or minimally displaced.

Some of the nonsurgical treatment options for a pelvic fracture include the use of walking aids to avoid bearing the weight on the affected side and pain medications to relieve the discomfort.

Surgical Treatment

Surgery is typically recommended for cases of unstable pelvic fracture.

Some of the surgical options for a fractured pelvis include the use of external fixation and skeletal traction and open reduction and internal fixation.

What is Osteoarthritis of the Hip?

Arthritis is a general term used to pertain to joint inflammation. It’s a condition that causes pain and swelling in the body’s joints.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the inflammation to the joint causes a breakdown of the cartilage tissue, the rubbery material that covers the end of the bones. It can affect any joint of the body including the hips.

The hip is the largest joint of the body and the second most commonly affected joint by osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis of the hip is a serious condition. However, it’s not always easy to diagnose as the pain can appear in different locations such as the buttocks, thigh, groin, and knee. The pain can be dull, sharp, or stabbing and can greatly affect one’s ability to move.

The exact cause of osteoarthritis of the hip is unknown but several factors can trigger its development. These include being overweight, inherited defects in the cartilage, and improperly formed joints.

Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the Hip

Pain around the hip is the most common symptom of osteoarthritis of the hip. This pain develops gradually and usually worsens over time. It can be felt in the groin or thigh area and radiates to other areas like the buttocks and the knees.

Aside from pain, there can also be stiffness, grinding noise (also called crepitus) during movement, “locking” of the hip joint, and decreased range of motion of the hip.

Diagnosing Osteoarthritis of the Hip

A physical exam and at times, some diagnostic tests can help in diagnosing hip osteoarthritis.

During the physical exam, the doctor will look for pain when pressure is applied on the hip, tenderness, problems with the gait, limitations in the range of movement, and any sign of injury to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments surrounding the hip joint.

Diagnostic tests such as x-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scan may be requested to determine the condition of the bones and tissues of the hip.

How It Is Treated

The main goal of the treatment is to help improve the person’s mobility and function of the hip and reduce one’s pain.

Nonsurgical Treatment

During the early stages of the condition, the treatment of choice will be nonsurgical. These include lifestyle modifications, physical therapy, the use of assistive devices such as a walker, and pain medications.

Surgical Treatment

The doctor may recommend surgery if the pain from osteoarthritis is not relieved by nonsurgical treatment methods.

Some of the surgical options for osteoarthritis of the hip include osteotomy, hip resurfacing, and total hip replacement.

A hip fracture is a break in the bones of the hip. While anyone can suffer from a hip fracture, older people are at higher risk due to the weakening of the bones as a result of aging. Couple that with poor vision, balance problems, and taking multiple medications, older people are more likely to trip and fall, the most common cause of hip fractures.

Causes and Risk Factors

Falls, especially from a significant height, are the most common causes of a broken hip. Other things that can lead to hip fracture include a blunt trauma to the hip and degenerative bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

There are certain factors that can increase one’s risk of hip fracture. These include obesity, unhealthy habits such as smoking and a sedentary lifestyle and having a medical condition that causes dizziness or loss of balance.

Signs and Symptoms

When one suffers from hip fracture, there can be a significant pain in the outer upper thigh or groin area. Discomfort can also be felt for every hip movement such as flexion or rotation of the hip.

Aside from pain, a hip fracture can also cause bruising, inflammation of the hip, and difficulty in walking. When the bone is completely broken, the injured leg will appear shorter than the non-injured one.

When to See a Doctor

Hip fractures are considered as an orthopaedic emergency. They require immediate medical attention.

A doctor may suspect a hip fracture from obvious signs of a broken hip such as bruising, deformity, and swelling. However, in order to confirm the diagnosis, the doctor may order imaging and other tests such as an X-ray, MRI and CT scans, and a bone scan.

Managing Hip Fractures

Treatment for hip fracture can vary. The doctor usually considers the patient’s age and overall physical health.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Nonsurgical treatment may be considered for patients who are too ill or are confined to a bed before the injury happened.

Patients who qualify for nonsurgical treatment may be placed on traction to keep the affected site immobile. These patients are often recommended for periodic X-rays to make sure that their fracture isn’t getting worse. They are also constantly monitored for possible complications of prolonged immobilization such as infection, formation of blood clots, bed sores, pneumonia, and nutritional wasting.

Surgical Treatment

For patients who are healthy enough to undergo surgery, the procedure is done as soon as the diagnosis of hip fracture is confirmed. The type of surgery depends on the location of the fracture as well as the severity of the patient’s condition.

The two most common surgical treatment for hip fractures are hip repair surgery and hip replacement surgery.

Hip repair surgery (also called internal fixation) is recommended if the bones can still be lined up properly. In this procedure, the doctor uses plates, screws, or rods to hold the bones together while they heal.

If the fractured bones can’t be lined up, the doctor will recommend the hip replacement surgery. It involves replacement of part (partial hip replacement) or all (total hip replacement) of the joint with artificial parts.

What is Hip Dislocation?

A hip dislocation occurs when the ball-shaped head of the thigh bone moves out of its socket in the pelvis. It’s a serious medical injury that requires immediate treatment.

Motor vehicle collisions are common causes of hip dislocation. This injury can also happen during athletic events.

Types of Hip Dislocation

When one suffers from a hip dislocation, the femoral head is either pushed out of the socket in a backward or forward direction.

Posterior Dislocation
This is the most common type of hip dislocation, accounting for about 90% of the cases. In this type of hip dislocation, the femoral head is pushed out of the socket in a backward direction.

Anterior Dislocation
Anterior dislocation occurs when the femoral head is pushed out of the socket in a forward direction. This results in the hip being bent slightly, with the leg rotating out and away from the body’s midline.

Symptoms of Hip Dislocation

Severe pain is the most common complaint of those with dislocated hip. This is usually accompanied by difficulty in moving the leg. In some cases, there can be a loss of feeling in the feet or ankle area. This symptom usually signifies nerve damage.

Diagnosing Hip Dislocation

Most cases of hip dislocation can be easily detected by an orthopaedic surgeon simply by looking at the position of the leg. However, even if it is obvious, many doctors would still do a thorough physical exam to determine other injuries involved.

To determine the exact location of the displaced bone, the doctor may order imaging tests such as x-rays.

How It Is Treated

A hip dislocation needs to be treated immediately. An unmanaged dislocated hip can lead to sciatic nerve damage, recurring dislocation, and inability to perform the closed reduction.

Reduction

If there are no other injuries involved, the doctor may perform the closed reduction. It’s the manual manipulation of the bone fragments without surgical exposure of the fragments. This is usually performed under conscious sedation.

After the reduction, the doctor usually requests additional tests such as x-rays and computed tomography (CT) scan to make sure that the bones are in proper position.

Surgical Intervention

If the closed reduction is unsuccessful or if the joint remains unstable, then surgical intervention is recommended.

Open reduction is commonly performed for a dislocated hip. In this procedure, the bone fragments are exposed surgically for realignment.

What is a broken hip?

A broken hip or hip fracture refers to a break in the upper quarter of the thigh bone. It’s a serious injury that can lead to life-threatening complications.

Older people are at higher risk to have a broken hip due to weakening of the bones as a result of aging. They are also more prone to falls as a result of problems in vision, balance, and having multiple medications.

Aside from falls, a broken hip may also occur as a result of blunt trauma to the hip, medical conditions such as osteoporosis, and obesity (excessive weight can put too much pressure on the hip bones).

Symptoms of a Broken Hip

Pain in the hip or groin area is the most common symptom of a broken hip. This makes walking very difficult.

Other than pain, there can also be changes in the skin around the affected site. There can be swelling, redness, and bruising. The affected leg may also appear shorter than the unaffected leg.

Diagnosing a Broken Hip

A broken hip is diagnosed after a physical exam and imaging tests.

The physical exam of one with a broken hip may reveal swelling, bruising, or deformity on the affected site.

In order to locate the fracture, the doctor may order imaging tests such as x-rays. If this test doesn’t show any fracture even if the patient is showing hip fracture symptoms, then other imaging tests may be ordered. This can be magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan. These tests often show a hidden fracture.

How It Is Treated

The treatment plan for a broken hip will depend on several factors including the patient’s overall health and medical condition.

Nonsurgical Treatment

Nonsurgical treatment such as the use of pain medications is recommended for those who are too ill to undergo any form of surgical intervention. This is also recommended for those who are unable to walk prior to injury and may have been confined to a bed or wheelchair.

Surgical Treatment

The type of surgery to be done depends on the location and severity of the fracture and whether the fractured or broken bones are displaced (not aligned properly).

Some of the surgical options for a broken hip include internal repair using screws, partial hip replacement, and total hip replacement.