For other people, the pop can be seen with the twitching of the lateral muscles and the strange sensation that the hip has “gone out of place”. Others still feel a snap with the perception of locking accompanied by difficulty in moving.
Almost always, the hip crack does not come with pain. And while it may seem harmless, this condition can sometimes be the first sign that something is wrong with the hip, which can lead to further damage, explains the orthopaedic surgeon in Delhi.
Young women, athletes and dancers often experience this painless sensation harmlessly. So much so that snapping or snapping hip syndrome is also known as dancer’s hip.
What Causes Hip Cracking or Cracking?
There is not just one cause for the hip popping sensation. It can appear by changes in some structures around or even within the joint.
Knowing the cause of the problem makes all the difference not only for treatment, but also for identifying the severity and monitoring the injury, says the orthopaedic in Delhi.
External Hip Snap (on the side of the hip)
This first type of snapping is the most common cause of hip cracking. Often felt as a bump on the side of the hip, which can often be palpable.
It happens through the passage of the tendon from the side of the hip (iliotibial tract) over the most lateral portion of the femur bone (great trochanter).
When we walk or sit, this powerful tendon passes backwards and forwards from the bony ridge of the femur in a smooth motion. In some people, the hip bone can stick out and the tendon can become so tense that it ends up catching on the back of the bone.
If the person forces the movement, the tendon unscrews from the bone and passes quickly forward producing a snap and click.
The click occurs during the movement of bending or straightening the hip, when running or climbing stairs. Physical activities such as golf or efforts such as carrying suitcases or heavy backpacks can trigger rebound more easily.
Women are more affected by this type of snapping, as their hip and femur bones are more lateralized than men. This is because of the adaptation of female pelvis because of the birth canal.
Generally, this condition does not generate pain, only the sensation that it is possible to disengage the hip from its place – which does not really happen. Eventually, inflammation of the bursa, called bursitis, may occur as an associated disease, explains the orthopaedic doctor in Delhi.
Inner Hip Bump (in front of hip)
As with the side of the hip, the innermost part also has a popping or popping shape. The internal snap is caused by the tendon of the iliopsoas muscle, a powerful flexor of the thigh.
The movement of bending the hip with the leg rotated can lock the iliopsoas tendon over the head of the femur or over the edge of the pelvis cavity. When the tendon is too tense or the edge of the socket is too prominent, a movement with resistance is created that produces the click.
This form of clicking is felt as if it were on the inside of the joint, anterior to the hip and radiating to the groin. Because it is deep, it is not visible.
In this type of rebound, the hip pops when running, when rising from a sitting position, or when rotating the leg away from the body.
In some cases, internal snapping can damage the most peripheral cartilage of the hip joint, known as the labrum, and be associated with pain, explains the orthopaedic surgeon in Delhi.
Snapping from problems within the joint
A problem with the hip joint can cause the third type of click. Injuries with detachment or inflammation in the hip cartilage can produce a clicking, locking, and painful sensation.
Snapping due to cartilage damage can happen suddenly after trauma, such as a fall. Or even in people with wear and tear, osteoarthritis in the hip, in which symptoms may be less important and are associated with inflammation in the joint.
Loose pieces of bone or cartilage can lock the hip, causing pain and difficulty moving, explains the orthopaedic surgeon in Delhi.
Hip cracking is treatable
For most people with a cracked hip, without symptoms of pain, joint rehabilitation is enough to avoid injury or disability.
Ideally, you should receive a thorough medical evaluation regarding joint movement and possible risk factors, such as wear and tear. Anyone with a snap or click and pain should see a specialist orthopaedic in Delhi.
Conservative treatment
- Rest: People with clicking in the hip joint should avoid movements that cause the click and restrict the overload on the joint, bursa and tendons. If the action of dancing, running or climbing stairs generates symptoms, these activities should also be excluded.
- Medication: the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, for a short period of time, can make the rehabilitation period easier, especially for cases with pain and a lot of inflammation.
- Physical Therapy: Some physical therapy techniques can help relax the muscles and tendons that cause internal and external snapping. Therapies that accelerate healing and decrease pain may also be employed.
- Corticosteroid injection: hip injections may be a good option for the treatment of chronic pain conditions or those that do not improve with the above treatment measures. It is worth mentioning that it is not able to cure tendon tension, but it is a strong aid in controlling inflammation.
Surgical treatment
Hip cracking is very common among athletes and women. Even when there are symptoms of pain, he responds very well to non-surgical treatment, such as medication and physical therapy.
Only a minority of cases benefit from surgical treatment. Therefore, the correct type of procedure will depend on the cause of the pop, explains the orthopaedic doctor in Delhi.
Video arthroscopy of the hip is the most suitable method for cases of cartilage injury, with the aim of preventing the progression of the injury to wear.
In cases of tendon shortening, its lengthening or release can be performed by video arthroscopy in Delhi, depending on each particular situation.
Most importantly, whenever possible, determine the cause of the hip snap. Only then will there be a diagnosis of an injury that may eventually worsen in the future.
If you feel a click in your hip, avoid doing any activity that causes pain or reproduces the click.
And remember, keep your life moving.
