No significant differences in gait seen in patients with snapping hip

Researchers from Denmark conducted a comparative cross-sectional study of patients with snapping hip and found the condition did not significantly impact gait pattern, according to results of this study.

“No significant differences were found in muscle activity around the hip or in kinetics and kinematics of the lower extremity between subjects with symptomatic external snapping hip and healthy subjects,” the researchers wrote in the study. “This suggests that subjects with symptomatic external snapping hip do not show an impaired gait pattern.”

Using a motion capture system, the researchers compared the peak hip adduction angle, average knee range of motion (ROM) and peak valgus knee angle in 13 patients with external snapping hip with 13 healthy patients. They found no significant difference in these lower extremity joint kinematics and kinetics.

The researchers noted a difference in gluteus medius muscle activity during walking when measuring the muscle with surface electromyography. The muscle measure 0.58 in the external snapping hip group compared to 0.68 in the control group, according to the abstract.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.