HIP ABDUCTOR DYSFUNCTION
One of the key pelvic stabilising muscle groups are the hip abductors (gluteus medius and minimus). The muscles originate from the outer pelvic bone and insert onto the upper part of the femur as highlighted in the picture below:
THE SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of Hip Abductor Dysfunction include pain around the outside of the hip (gluteal, upper thigh area) and a limp.
THE DIAGNOSIS
The history taking and examination that will take place during your consultation will help with diagnosis. Imaging such as ultrasound scanning and MRI’s will also be used.
THE CONDITION
When these muscles do not work properly, the pelvis tilts abnormally. The picture below shows what should happen when standing on one leg (Figure A), and what happens when the muscles are not working properly (Figure B). As you can see, in Figure B, the whole of the opposite side tilts downwards if the muscles are not working properly. This leads to a limp and pain felt on the outside of the joint.
THE TREATMENT
Initial treatment is physiotherapy to build up the strength and endurance of the abductor muscles. Frequently, an injection will be used to improve pain so that rehabilitation can commence. If this fails, surgical treatment may be necessary. Surgical Treatment consists of either repair of the muscles or reconstruction in the case of a complete detachment.
