Cracked hip syndrome is a condition that, when walking, standing up or rotating the leg, can cause a jumping sensation, or make a popping sound in the hip. This symptom, has nothing to do with internal displacement of the femoral head in the joint. In addition, it is usually painless and harmless, but can be somewhat annoying or cause some discomfort. What are actually the causes of this condition and how can it be treated? These questions are answered later in this article.
Causes of a snapping hip
Hip popping is caused by soft tissue contact with protruding bone fragments. The most common sites of popping are the groin area or the lateral surface of the of the hip joint. In the first case, the tendon of the iliofemoral muscle contacts the femoral head or rubs against the iliac crest, while in the second case, there is a conflict of the fibrous iliofemoral band with the greater ileum of the femur. Factors that increase the risk of conflict include:
- postural defects, e.g. knee valgus or hip flexion contracture,
- joint complaints, such as rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis,
- hip joint abnormalities,
- history of trauma in the hip area,
- hip surgery carried out,
- overloading of the hips, e.g. by running long distances,
- inflammation of muscle tendons or their scarring,
- frequent intramuscular injections in the hip area.
How to treat a snapping hip?
Mostly, a snapping hip does not cause pain and does not require surgical treatment. In most cases, conservative treatment is sufficient. This consists of limiting physical activity and avoiding movements that cause snapping or popping. When the pain in the hip joint is slight, cold compresses and painkillers are recommended. There are significant benefits from rehabilitation to correct posture, proper pelvic alignment, stretching and flexibility of contracted structures. If the condition makes daily life difficult, the doctor may recommend anti-inflammatories or steroid injections.
When conservative treatment does not bring the expected improvement, the complaints are very severe or inflammation of the synovial bursa above the vertebral body develops, surgical treatment is then indicated. The surgical method is usually arthroscopic techniqueduring which the doctor plastinates the strained tendon. In this way, the tension is reduced and any abnormalities in the hip joint that could cause friction during movement are removed. After the operation, several weeks of rehabilitation and walking on crutches are necessary to save the operated limb. In patients who do not experience significant discomfort during daily functioning, surgery is not recommended. Some patients, after the surgery has been performed, complain of joint pain due to changes in weather or prolonged walking.
