Multidisciplinary, Experienced Care
At UT Southwestern,
our multidisciplinary Sports Medicine team includes orthopaedic surgeons,
physical therapists, athletic trainers, chiropractors, nutritionists,
psychologists, and other health care providers. Our specialists work together
to create a comprehensive treatment plan that is tailored to each patient’s
unique needs.
We treat a high volume of
patients with a wide range of sports-related injuries, and we have extensive
experience with hip and thigh conditions. We cater to patients at every level, whether
they’re professional athletes, varsity and collegiate athletes, or highly
competitive amateurs. Our orthopaedic surgeons are trusted by athletes
throughout North Texas.
Conditions Affecting the Hip and Thigh
Our orthopaedic
specialists treat the following sports-related hip and thigh injuries and
disorders:
- Hamstring
muscle strain
- Hip bursitis
(trochanteric bursitis)
- Hip labral
tear
- Hip strains
- Hip stress
fracture
- Muscle strains
in the thigh
- Snapping hip
syndrome (repetitive movement of the hip)
Symptoms
Thigh
Symptoms
of a sports-related thigh injury or disorder, such as a hamstring strain or
thigh sprain, include a sudden sharp pain in the thigh during fast movement.
Depending on the severity of the injury, the patient can develop swelling for
the first few hours after injury, bruising below the knee, or weakness and
instability in the hamstring.
Hip
Hip
injuries or disorders can cause sharp pain over the injured muscle or at the
hip. After time, the hip pain can become an ache that spreads across the hip.
Other symptoms include hip pain that worsens when lying on the injured hip or
when doing certain activities like walking, stair climbing, or getting in and
out of a chair.
Diagnosing Hip and Thigh Conditions
When diagnosing hip and
thigh injuries and conditions, our specialists begin with a thorough medical
history and physical examination. To examine the severity of the injury or rule
out a possible fracture, our doctors might order imaging studies, such as:
Our specialists might also
use arthroscopes, tiny instruments with lighting and magnifying capabilities,
to get a better look at an injury and determine a treatment plan.
Treatments
Our specialists collaborate
to establish the best plan for treating an injury that will also work for the
patient’s lifestyle. Our doctors are skilled at discerning when nonsurgical
treatments will heal the injury and when surgery is the best course of
treatment.
Nonsurgical Treatments
Our team can successfully
treat many hip and thigh injuries and conditions without surgery. These
conservative therapies include:
- Analgesics
- Compression
sleeves, braces, or assistive devices
- Manual therapy
- Rest and ice
- Therapy
exercises
For more advanced
injuries, we also offer the following nonsurgical treatments:
- Hyaluronic acid injections: Injections of natural substances in the
joints that aid healing and cushioning
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment: A super-concentrated compound made up of a
patient’s own platelets that is injected at the injury site to jump-start the
tissue healing process
- Prolotherapy: A procedure in which we inject certain compounds at the injury site
to stimulate a healing response
- Shock wave therapy: Therapy using high-energy sound waves that break
up scar tissue and promote recovery
- Ultrasound-guided steroid injections
Surgery for Hip and Thigh Conditions
When surgery is needed to
heal a sports-related hip or thigh injury or disorder, our surgeons have the
experience and skills necessary to perform advanced surgical treatments. Our
surgeons are among a handful of orthopaedic surgeons in North Texas who offer
minimally invasive arthroscopic hip surgery.
Surgeries we offer
include:
- Cartilage
restoration procedures
- Joint
preservation and reconstruction
- Mini-open
repair techniques
- Minimally
invasive arthroscopic hip surgery
- Open surgical
repair techniques
Following surgery,
patients undergo further physical therapy and rehabilitation to make sure that
the injury is healing properly and that full motion is restored to the hip and
thigh.