Gluteus medius tears of the hip: a comprehensive approach

ABSTRACT

Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) is a common clinical condition that can affect a wide range of patients. Historically, the condition has been associated with trochanteric bursitis. More recently, however, a growing body of literature has demonstrated gluteus medius tendinopathy and tearing is present in many cases of GTPS. Pathology of the gluteus medius can result in significant hip pain, loss of motion, and decreased function. Affected patients characteristically have symptoms including lateral hip pain and a Trendelenburg gait, which may be refractory to conservative management such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), physical therapy, and injections. In these cases, both open and arthroscopic repair techniques have been described, with recent literature demonstrating excellent patient-reported outcomes. We present a comprehensive review of gluteus medius tears including relevant anatomy, clinical evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment options.

KEYWORDS:

• Gluteus medius tears
• hip arthroscopy

Declaration of financial/other relationships

T. Menge has worked as a consultant for Smith & Nephew. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Declaration of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This manuscript was not funded.