Athletic hip injuries represent a wide spectrum of stress placed either acutely or chronically on the bony and soft tissue structures of the lower extremity. Hip injuries tend to occur less commonly than other lower extremity injuries, but because of the relatively deep structures involved, diagnosis and treatment can be a challenge. It is important to recognize two broad categories of hip injury in the athlete: avulsion injuries and stress fractures. Avulsion injuries tend to occur in the adolescent athlete and involve an acute injury or trauma. Stress fractures can occur in the older athlete as well and tend to be of a more chronic nature. Often, there will be a period of discomfort with activity followed by a sudden worsening of symptoms, indicating progression of a stress injury. This article focuses on the more common injuries of the athletic hip and discusses strategies of diagnosis and treatment.
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