Hip Osteoarthritis
HIP OSTEOARTHRITIS The hip joint is a weight bearing ball-and-socket synovial joint which is commonly affected by wear-and-tear (osteoarthritis). In early stages of this degenerative process (irrespective of the cause), a sequence of events takes place within the cartilage of the joint, ultimately leading to exposure of some of the underlying bone. The resultant cartilaginous… Read more »
Greater Trochanteric Bursitis
TROCHANTERIC BURSITIS This condition describes irritation of the bursa at the hip. The trochanteric bursa is a fluid filled sac which is located adjacent to the femur, between the insertion of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles, into the greater trochanter of the femur. It has the function, in common with other bursae, of… Read more »
Iliopsoas Bursitis
ILIOPSOAS BURSITIS This condition describes irritation of the bursa between the iliopsoas (hip flexor) muscle and the anterior hip capsule and iliopectineal eminence located at the front of the pelvis. Iliopsoas/Iliopectineal Bursa Iliopsoas Muscle Similar to the function of all other bursae, the iliopsoas bursa separates muscle/tendon from bone and acts to facilitate movement,… Read more »
Hip Flexor Strain
HIP FLEXOR STRAIN / TEAR Hip flexion is the action of moving the thigh upwards towards the torso or if the thigh is fixed it pulls the torso down towards the thigh, for example if you fix your feet under something when doing a sit-up. The main muscles associated with hip flexor strains are the… Read more »
Labral Tear
LABRAL TEAR The hip joint is the closest example to a ball-and-socket joint we have in the human body. The ball is formed by the head of the femur (femoral head), which is located at the top of thigh bone. It forms approximately two thirds of a sphere. The socket is located at the lower… Read more »
Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Sprain
SACROILIAC SPRAIN There are two sacroiliac (SI) joints located at the back of the pelvis. These strong, stable synovial joints are formed between the sacrum and the ilium of the pelvis. The SI joints are covered by two different kinds of cartilage: the sacral surface has thick hyaline cartilage, and the ilial surface has thinner… Read more »
Piriformis Syndrome
PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME The piriformis muscle is located in the gluteal/buttock region at the back of the pelvis. Anatomically, this muscle originates from the front of the sacrum and inserts onto the hip. Its main actions are to rotate the hip outwards (laterally) when the hip is bent to less than ninety degrees and to rotate… Read more »
Herniated/Slipped Disc Explained: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment
Slipped disc, bulging disc, prolapsed disc… these are all common terms used to define types of injury to the discs which sit between the vertebrae bodies (bones) of the spine. Commonly described as the “cushions” or “shock absorbers” of the spine, these circular pads of cartilage are composed of tough, fibrous tissue on the outside (annulus fibrosis) and a… Read more »