In Snapping Hip Syndrome, sufferers hear or feel a snap, pop, or click when they move their hip joint. Encountering these symptoms is not a normal process but rather points to an injury or degenerative condition.
There are several reasons Snapping Hip Syndrome occurs, and they can be due to problems either inside or outside of the hip joint.
Most commonly, the condition involves a thick, wide tendon called the iliotibial band, which runs along the outside (lateral) side of the hip joint. The iliotibial band snaps over the bony prominence on the outside of the hip, called the greater trochanter, which sticks out from the thigh bone.
When a person with this condition moves into a standing position, for example, the band may be positioned behind the trochanter. And then when bending the hip, the band will move and “snap” over towards the front of the bony prominence. Over time, irritation from this “snapping” may lead to bursitis.
Another tendon is involved in the second cause of Snapping Hip Syndrome, which occurs when it catches on the underlying bony prominences of the pelvis. The iliopsoas tendon snaps over the iliopectineal eminence when bending or flexing the hip. The annoying snapping sensation or sound is generally the only symptom involved when the iliopsoas tendon is the source.
An additional area where snapping can occur is located where the ball of the hip joint fits into the socket. This snapping involves the rectus femoris tendon as it runs from inside the thighbone and up through the pelvis. When the hip joint bends and straightens, the tendon moves and snaps back and forth across the ball of the hip joint.
The least common cause of Snapping Hip Syndrome occurs within the hip joint and involves a tear of the hip labrum or cartilage. In these types of injuries, bits of cartilage or even bone can also become loose inside the joint. These pieces are called loose fragments and can be an associated cause of Snapping Hip Syndrome, which can lead to the hip locking up. In this scenario, inside the hip, the sufferer often experiences pain that is disabling.
A combination of the various causes, plus muscle injury, can also occur. Additionally, if the problem persists and the tendons remain lax for a prolonged period, Snapping Hip Syndrome can lead to arthritis.
Snapping Hip Syndrome in Athletes
Snapping Hip Syndrome is common among young athletes, including ballet dancers, soccer players, and runners. Dancers and other athletes repeatedly move their hips to perform their dance or sport.
If the hip and tendons are moving abnormally, as with Snapping Hip Syndrome, the abnormal rubbing and snapping of the tissue over bony prominences will occur repeatedly.
When experiencing symptoms, these athletes frequently turn to treatments to relieve tight muscles, attributing their problem to overtraining. Treating muscles may give some relief, but will not repair the underlying injury to the ligaments, tendons, and/or hip labrum.
Treatments that repair these soft tissue structures are necessary to stabilize the hip joint and prevent snapping.
Regenerative Orthopedics, focused on strengthening these tendons and any involved ligaments, plus repairing the hip labrum, can tighten the joint and resolve the problem.
Oftentimes, an underlying problem of hip joint looseness or laxity is involved, causing instability. Regenerative Orthopedics treats hip instability by tightening and strengthening the injured and lax structures and regenerating the areas that need healing. The treatment actually addresses the root cause of the problem and is effective at repairing injured soft tissue and resolving the issue.
The injected solutions in Regenerative Orthopedic treatments attract immune cells and growth factors to the area to help build new, healthy soft tissue. The healing and repair boost the body’s natural response to healing in soft-tissue injuries. The result is stronger, more stable ligaments and tendons. The snapping and pain go away, and the athlete can return to the sport they love.
If the cause of Snapping Hip Syndrome is a torn labrum or cartilage, a more advanced Regenerative Orthopedics technique, including Stem Cell Therapy and/or PRP, may be required. Labral tears respond well to these treatments. And cartilage, if involved, can regenerate too. If loose fragments are an issue, the physician will need to determine whether or not surgical removal is necessary.
Regenerative Orthopedic treatments for snapping hip syndrome address the root cause of the condition. Specifically, damaged connective tissues, such as tendons, ligaments, and the labrum, can be repaired and healed. That means you return quickly to the sports and activities you enjoy doing.
Hung, Chen-Yu, Ke-Vin Chang, and Levent Özçakar. “Snapping hip due to gluteus medius tendinopathy: Ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis and guidance for prolotherapy.” Pain Medicine 16.10 (2015): 2040-2041.
