Editorial Commentary: Treatment of Concomitant Intra-Articular Pathology in Patients With Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome Is Indicated by Provocative Impingement or Instability Physical Examination and Ultrasound-Guided Analgesic Injection Testing

Editorial Commentary: Treatment of Concomitant Intra-Articular Pathology in Patients With Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome Is Indicated by Provocative Impingement or Instability Physical Examination and Ultrasound-Guided Analgesic Injection Testing

Authors

Domb BG, Curley AJ

Journal

Arthroscopy, March 2023

Objective

To discuss how to determine if patients with greater trochanteric pain syndrome also have intra-articular pathology that requires additional treatment.

Key Findings

• Greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) may be caused by peritrochanteric pathology (like tendon issues or bursitis).
• Some patients also have intra-articular problems like labral tears or chondral lesions, which can be identified using physical exams and ultrasound-guided injections.
• If injections relieve pain in both the hip joint and peritrochanteric region, a combination of endoscopic and arthroscopic procedures may be needed to address both problems.

Conclusion

For patients with GTPS, surgeons should perform thorough physical exams and use imaging techniques to determine if additional hip joint issues are contributing to the pain. A combined surgical approach may be necessary in these cases.

What Does This Mean For Patients

If you have greater trochanteric pain, your doctor might use physical exams and injections to determine whether you also have other hip joint issues. If both are present, combined treatments may be recommended to address all sources of pain.