Synovitis Of The Hip

What is synovitis of the hip, and how is it treated?

Home / Hip / Synovitis

Synovitis of the hip is a condition where there is inflammation of the synovial membrane (connective tissues) surrounding the hip joint. This protective tissue is only a few cells thick but protects the joint by lubricating and nourishing it.

This condition is also commonly called transient synovitis and can often cause joint pain and swelling in the hip. Synovitis is the most common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

If you or your child are experiencing pain in your hip that interferes with mobility, schedule a consultation with our team at OrthoNeuro. Our orthopedic surgeons in Columbus, Ohio can provide you with a state-of-the-art diagnosis and personalized treatment.

What Causes Synovitis?

There are a number of conditions that can cause synovitis. The most common cause of synovial inflammation is an overactive immune system.

The inflammation occurs as your immune system attacks your healthy synovium. This eventually causes a thickening of the synovial membrane. The synovium becomes inflamed and produces more synovial fluid.

An inflamed synovium can eventually cause damage to the cartilage and bone of the joint. This damage is what causes symptoms such as swelling, stiffness, pain, and warmth in the joint.

Synovial inflammation is related to arthritic conditions. The most common condition is rheumatoid arthritis. You may also have synovitis along with conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, and gout.

Another possibility of synovitis is repeated joint bleeds. This happens when bleeds repeatedly occur in the same joint. If they are not treated properly, the synovial membrane can thicken, grow more blood vessels, and the bleeding will get worse.

It is also possible to get synovitis as a repetitive strain injury.

Synovitis can cause symptoms similar to many other joint disorders. It’s possible to experience these symptoms in different joints throughout your body. These symptoms may include:

Joint pain
Joint inflammation
Joint stiffness
Warm feeling in the joint

How to Diagnose Synovitis

To diagnose synovitis, your doctor will begin with a physical exam of your joints. The doctor will check the joint for swelling, tenderness, and warmth around the joint. Due to the thickening of the synovium, your doctor should be able to identify a sponginess in the joint.

If your diagnosis is uncertain, your doctor may request some image testing. An MRI scan or a musculoskeletal ultrasound may be used to detect inflammation that is deep under the skin, and that cannot be seen through a physical exam. Your doctor will want to be sure that your symptoms are related to the synovial tissue and not your tendon.

How Is Synovitis Treated?

A treatment plan will be made according to the underlying cause of your synovitis. You will likely be advised to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen. This should help reduce pain and inflammation.

If your symptoms are due to arthritis, you may be prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to relieve symptoms. In more severe cases, you may be given steroid injections or oral steroids to reduce inflammation.

Our orthopedic surgeons can also perform a synovectomy if medications don’t ease the symptoms. During this procedure, your surgeon will remove part of the synovium.

Make an Appointment with an OrthoNeuro Hip Specialist Today!

If you are suffering from synovitis of the hip, schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified orthopedic hip specialists at one of our many convenient locations throughout Columbus, OH. We will evaluate your unique lifestyle and goals to determine which type of treatment is best for you.

Best of all, most patients can be seen within 24 hours of making an appointment. Contact us today to discover the best way to alleviate your joint pain!

Medically reviewed by

Ryan M. Palmer, D.O.

Related Services

Hip Specialists

IF YOU HAVE SEVERE OR PERSISTENT HIP PAIN THAT INTERFERES WITH YOUR LIFE, CALL ORTHONEURO OR SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION ONLINE TODAY. OUR ORTHOPEDIC SURGEONS PROVIDE STATE-OF-THE-ART DIAGNOSIS AND PERSONALIZED TREATMENT.