Hip Joint Structure and Hip Problems

Cleveland Clinic describes the hip joint as the place where your thigh bone connects to your pelvis. Aches there range from the ordinary to the rare, and this guide sorts a few of them so you can see where yours might sit.

Articles on hip problems

Each article below names the published guidance behind any sign it describes as a reason to seek care.

• Hip Labral Tear and Catching in the Hip: what a catch in the joint can mean and what to note about it.
• Hip Dysplasia in Adults: the adult side of the condition, with a separate guide to hip dysplasia behind it.
• Snapping Hip Syndrome and Clicking Sounds: a look at sounds the joint makes and when they are worth a mention.

How the problems relate

A noise, a catch and a dull ache are different complaints, so read the article closest to yours first. A published guide to hip impingement covers a further hip problem that sits outside the three articles above.

Before you call a clinician

Write down where the ache sits, when it began and which movements bring it on. Add anything that eases it and anything you have already tried. A short note like this gives the clinician a clear starting point, and it takes a few minutes to put together.