Extra-articular Snapping Hip: A Literature Review

Abstract

Snapping hip, or coxa saltans, is a nondescript term that includes multiple distinct disorders. A snapping hip is one that has an audible or palpable snap during movement with or without associated pain. Although snapping hip is estimated to occur in 5 % to 10 % of the general population,9 the incidence may be higher and the symptoms more limiting in dancers, soccer players, weight lifters, and runners.* The causes of snapping hip are generally divided into 2 categories: intra-articular and extra-articular. As increasing attention is being paid to intra-articular hip pathologies such as acetabular labral tears, it is important for the clinician to be able to recognize extra-articular causes of snapping hip. Recent advances in imaging techniques, including fluoroscopy and sonography, allow for a more complete investigation of the involved structures during movement and so provide an improved understanding of snapping hip