Snapping Hip

The occasional “snapping” that can be heard when walking or swinging one’s leg around results from the movement of a muscle or tendon (the tough, fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone) over a bony structure. In the hip, the most common site is at the outer side where a band of connective tissue (the iliotibial band) passes over the broad, flat portion of the thighbone known as the greater trochanter (tro-KAN-ter). The snapping can also occur from the back-and-forth motion that takes place when the tendon, running from the inside of the thighbone up through the pelvis, shifts across the head of the thighbone. A tear in the cartilage or some bone debris in the hip joint can also cause a snapping or clicking sensation.

Diagnosis