Chronic painful conditions of the hip

Hip pain is a common complaint with many causes. Pathology in the hip can present with pain referred to sites other than the hip and pain in the hip may result from pathology elsewhere. An accurate history and examination is paramount. Chronic painful conditions of the hip summarised in this paper can be classified into three main groups: intra-articular, extra-articular and hip mimickers. The intra-articular conditions include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears and snapping hip secondary to loose bodies, synovial chondromatosis or labral tears. Extra-articular conditions include snapping hip, iliopsoas bursitis, piriformis syndrome and greater trochanteric pain syndrome. Hip mimickers include myofascial pain syndrome, osteitis pubis, sacroiliac joint pain and nerve entrapment syndromes.