The trochanteric bursa is a structure located between the deep muscles of the hip and the superficial fascia. The bursa normally allows the structures to glide over each other smoothly but can become inflamed leading to trochanteric bursitis. Often this may be due to overload of the muscles, but sometimes no cause is found.
Treatment is usually with non-surgical measures. These include physiotherapy and stretching exercises supplemented with anti-inflammatory tablets. Weight loss can be helful as this reduced the strain through the muscles and allows the inflammation to settle. If these treatments fail then the bursa can be injected with steroid either in clinic or under ultrasound guidance. Surgery is very rarely performed and most symptoms resolve with non-surgical treatment.
