Trochanteric Bursitis and Gluteal Tendinopathy
What is Trochanteric Bursitis and Gluteal Tendinopathy?
These conditions are usually found where the tendons attach to the bone on either side of the hips.
Trochanteric bursitis of the hip occurs when the small protective sacs (bursae) cushioning the tendons of the hip near the bone become inflamed.
Gluteal tendinopathy or tendonitis is an injury to the gluteal tendon - which runs underneath the lower buttocks on both sides - and also leads to inflammation and hip discomfort and pain.
Symptoms
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Pain at night whilst sleeping on your side which then wakes you.
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Pain whilst sitting or upon getting out of the chair.
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Pain whilst walking or after walking.
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Referred pain down the leg and/or into the groin.
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Pain on palpation of the side of the hip.
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Swelling of the area.
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Loss of strength in the muscle.
Causes
The injury can occur as a result of trauma from a sudden impact like falling or from sports related impact or it can also occur as the result of repetitive activity which causes aggravation and trauma to the area e.g running or cycling. Tendinosis, a non-inflammatory collagen degeneration of the tendon, can also be a cause of the pain often due to repetitive overloading of the tendon.
The condition is more common in females though does occur in males.
Treatment
Both Trochanteric Bursitis and Gluteal tendinopathy are very successfully treated using focused shockwaves with ultrasound guidance during treatment, to stimulate a healing response. About 80% of patients improve significantly within 10 weeks of treatment, even when all other options have failed.
We usually require an x-ray to have been performed prior to treatment. This is to check that there are no other bony or soft tissue problems that may be causing the pain.
Sources and Related Links
In-depth Information
The gluteal tendons connect the gluteal muscles to the hip bone. The gluteal muscles control hip movement and Gluteal tendinopathy is an injury to the gluteal tendon complex often associated with trochanteric bursitis.
Trochanteric pain can be caused by inflammation of the tendon/ bursa where the gluteal muscles insert or by injury to tissue around the Greater Trochanter, which is the bony prominence on the side of the hip.
The screening X-ray may show the presence of calcium deposits which develop as a result of the injury. They are not usually the cause of the pain.
