ILIOPSOAS BURSA IMAGING - EFFICACY IN DEPICTING ABNORMAL ILIOPSOAS TENDON MOTION IN PATIENTS WITH INTERNAL SNAPPING HIP SYNDROME

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of both iliopsoas bursa imaging and therapeutic injections for determination of the cause of pain in patie nts with internal snapping hip syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients underwent iliopsoas bursa imaging. One patient underwent the procedure bilaterally and five underwent repeated studies for a total of 21 studies. Eight patients also received therapeutic injections af ter bursa imaging. RESULTS: Abnormal motion of the iliopsoas musculote ndinous unit that occurred synchronously with the snap was revealed in 15 of the 21 studies. Four studies revealed additional information th at contributed to symptoms. Eight patients received therapeutic inject ions with relief of symptoms that ranged from 2 weeks to 2 years. CONC LUSION: Iliopsoas bursa imaging is a simple, rapid, and reproducible m ethod with which abnormal iliopsoas tendon motion tan be documented in patients with internal snapping hip syndrome and is also useful for d iagnosis of other causes of atypical hip pain. Therapeutic injection i nto the iliopsoas bursa may delay or obviate surgery.