Diagnosis and Management of Snapping Hip Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review of Literature

Abstract

Background: Snapping hip is a common clinical condition, characterized by an audible or palpable snap of the hip joint. The snap can be perceived at the lateral side of the hip (external snapping hip), or at the medial (internal snapping hip). It is usually asymptomatic, but in few cases, in particular in athletes, the snap become painful (snapping hip syndrome-SHS). Materials and methods: This is a narrative review of current literature, which describes the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of SHS. Conclusion: The pathogenesis of SHS is multifactorial. Although external and internal SHS share some clinical features, they are different in etiology. In most cases, conservative treatment provides good results, while for patients who do not respond to conservative managements, surgery is indicated. Better results have been reported with endoscopic treatments compared with open surgery. Furthermore, endoscopic treatment showed fewer complications, failure rate and less post-operative pain. However, although the prevalence is high in general population, few articles are reported in the literature, and high evidence studies are needed.