Hip Pain: Imaging of Intra-articular and Extra-articular Causes

Hip pain is a common and complex clinical entity. The causes of hip injuries in athletes are many and diverse, requiring efficient, accurate diagnosis for proper management. Imaging is an important step in the clinical evaluation of hip pain, and familiarity with multiple imaging modalities as well as characteristic imaging findings is a helpful tool for sports medicine clinicians. This article discusses imaging recommendations and gives imaging examples of common causes of intra-articular and extra-articular hip pain including femoroacetabular impingement, labral tears, cartilage defects, ligamentum teres injuries, snapping hip syndrome, femoral stress injuries, thigh splints, athletic pubalgia, avulsion injuries, and hip dislocation.