Cracking in the hip joint while you do situps can be normal and harmless and is relatively common. It is usually caused by friction between the bones of your hip joints. However, a condition known as snapping hip syndrome may be diagnosed in some instances.
Anatomy
The hip joint is known as a synovial joint because the joint is surrounded by a capsule of fluid known as synovial fluid. The fluid lubricates the joint, helps the bones glide smoothly over one and other and cushions the bones. In the hip joint, the head of the thigh bone, or femur, is a round ball-shaped structure covered in a layer of spongy cartilage, which fits snugly into the socket of the pelvis, also lined with cartilage. The cartilage cushions and supports the bones. The cracking sound of your hips is commonly caused by the two bones rubbing against each other as your body moves into the situp position.
Snapping Hip Syndrome
Snapping hip syndrome is a common condition among young athletes and dancers. The syndrome occurs when a large band of connective tissue called a tendon on the outer side of the hip is particularly tight and moves over the outer bony surface of the hip joint, which sticks out slightly. When this particular tendon, called the illiotibial band, passes over this section of the thighbone during a movement such as a situp, there may be a corresponding loud snapping or cracking sound. If this happens regularly, you may get inflammation of the fluid filled sacs between the muscle and the bone. This condition is called bursitis and can be painful if left untreated.
Diagnosis and Treatment
X-rays of people with snapping hip syndrome are typically normal. If you visit the doctor due to pain associated with the snapping hip, you may be asked to reproduce the snapping by moving your leg so that the doctor can feel the tendon moving as the snapping takes place. You may be sent for further tests and X-rays to rule out any other problems associated with your hip joint. Treatment for snapping hips may include physiotherapy to stretch out the ligaments and muscles which may be the cause of the cracking sound. The pain of bursitis may be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, icing and corticosteroid injections.
Considerations
Cartilage tears within the hip joint and debris within the joint can also cause hip cracking. This is likely to be painful. If there is pain associated with the noise of the hip cracking as you do situps, you should consult your doctor. It may be necessary to avoid or limit activities that involve the repetitive movement of the hips until the snapping stops. In rare instances, minimally invasive surgery may be required to correct the cause of the snapping if other treatments are not successful.
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