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Health condition

Clicking hip, when it’s harmless and when it isn’t.

Snapping hip syndrome, coxa saltans, dancer’s hip - the same click, three possible sources. A clear plan for extra-articular and intra-articular causes.

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A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Why trust this guide

  • 01

    Editorial team

    Written by our editorial team from the UK sources listed on each page.

  • 02

    Sourced from guidance

    Checked against BOA, BHS and peer-reviewed hip surgery sources you can see at the end.

  • 03

    Current for 2026

    Reflects modern UK practice including MR arthrography, hip arthroscopy and endoscopic tendon release.

Key facts

Clicking hip at a glance.

The essentials in plain English - the three types, who gets it, and why a baby’s clicky hip is a different problem.

  • What it is

    An audible or palpable click, snap or pop during hip movement - also called snapping hip syndrome or coxa saltans.

  • External type (~50%)

    The most common form - the iliotibial band or gluteus maximus snapping over the greater trochanter on the outside of the hip.

  • Internal type (~30%)

    The iliopsoas tendon snapping over the iliopectineal eminence, femoral head or lesser trochanter - felt in the groin.

  • Intra-articular (~20%)

    From within the joint itself - labral tears, loose bodies, femoroacetabular impingement or chondral damage.

  • Painless is usually benign

    Many clicking hips are pain-free and need only reassurance, stretching and strengthening.

  • Newborn "clicky hip"

    A different entity - requires urgent screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) with ultrasound.

Why this guide matters

Same click, three different problems.

Getting the source right - outside, groin or inside the joint - decides whether you need physio, an injection or hip arthroscopy.

  • External snapping is a soft-tissue problem

    The iliotibial band or gluteus maximus flicking over the greater trochanter - a strengthening and stretching problem, not a surgical one.

  • Internal snapping is an iliopsoas problem

    The iliopsoas tendon rolling over the front of the pelvis - responds well to physio, injections and, rarely, endoscopic release.

  • Intra-articular clicks need imaging

    Labral tears, FAI, chondral flaps and loose bodies mimic snapping tendons - MR arthrography is the gold-standard scan.

How the diagnosis is made

From first click to a confident answer.

The steps a UK GP, sports physician or hip surgeon typically follows - and why each one matters.

  1. 01

    Assessing

    History and pattern

    Where the click is felt (outside, groin or deep), what movement triggers it, and whether it is painful or purely mechanical.

  2. 02

    Assessing

    Activity and sport

    Runners, dancers, gymnasts and footballers are at higher risk - especially ballet dancers with repetitive hip flexion.

  3. 03

    Assessing

    Focused examination

    Reproducing the click, palpating the ITB and iliopsoas, resisted hip flexion, Thomas test, FABER and FADIR for impingement and labral signs.

  4. 04

    Confirming

    Pelvis X-ray

    Screens for FAI (crossover sign, pistol-grip deformity, raised alpha angle), hip dysplasia, coxa profunda and early osteoarthritis.

  5. 05

    Confirming

    MR arthrogram (MRA)

    The gold-standard scan for labral tears, cartilage damage and FAI - contrast is injected into the joint before MRI.

  6. 06

    Confirming

    Dynamic ultrasound

    Can directly demonstrate a snapping ITB or iliopsoas tendon in real time and guide targeted injection therapy.

  7. 07

    Localising

    Diagnostic intra-articular block

    A local anaesthetic injection into the joint - lasting pain relief confirms an intra-articular source.

Typical timeline: clinic assessment to imaging and a specific plan in a few weeks.

Symptoms

What a clicking hip actually feels like.

Location, timing and whether it hurts are the three clues that separate a benign snap from something that needs imaging.

  • Lateral snap or pop

    A visible or palpable snap on the outside of the hip - typically the ITB catching over the greater trochanter.

  • Groin click on movement

    A deep click at the front of the hip when rising from a chair or rolling the leg out - the iliopsoas tendon.

  • Self-demonstrable

    Many people can reproduce the click on demand - a helpful clue to an extra-articular tendon cause.

  • Catching or locking

    Momentary jamming or giving way - suggests a labral tear, loose body or chondral flap inside the joint.

  • Painful clicking

    When the click is genuinely painful - think iliopsoas tendinopathy, greater trochanteric bursitis or intra-articular pathology.

  • Reduced range of movement

    Loss of internal rotation in flexion is classic for femoroacetabular impingement (cam or pincer).

  • Gluteal or ITB tightness

    Weak abductors and a tight ITB are common companions of external snapping hip in runners and cyclists.

  • Red flag - newborn clicky hip

    A click in a baby is not benign - it needs urgent DDH assessment with hip ultrasound before six weeks.

Treatment

How clicking hip is treated in the UK.

Reassurance and physio for most, injections for stubborn tendon pain, hip arthroscopy for intra-articular problems and a paediatric pathway for DDH.

  • Reassurance for painless snapping

    Most external snapping hips are benign - explanation, activity modification and time are often all that is needed.

  • Physiotherapy

    Structured ITB and iliopsoas stretching, gluteal and core strengthening, and gait retraining - the foundation of non-surgical care.

  • NSAIDs and load management

    Short courses of oral anti-inflammatories, heat or ice, and dropping mileage or dance intensity to settle irritable tendons.

  • Ultrasound-guided injection

    A steroid injection into the trochanteric bursa or iliopsoas sheath - useful when a painful tendon is not settling with physio.

  • Endoscopic iliopsoas release

    A minimally invasive selective release of a symptomatic snapping iliopsoas tendon by a specialist hip surgeon.

  • ITB Z-plasty or step-cut

    Open lengthening of the iliotibial band for refractory painful external snapping - rare and reserved for failed conservative care.

  • Hip arthroscopy for FAI or labrum

    Keyhole surgery to repair the labrum, reshape cam or pincer bone (osteoplasty) and remove loose bodies.

  • Paediatric DDH pathway

    Pavlik harness in infants, closed or open reduction if needed, and periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) for older children and adolescents.

What this guide is based on

The sources behind every claim on this page.

UK national guidance and specialist society standards, current at the time of last review.

Key references

Guidelines and standards we relied on.

A quiet reminder

This guide is for information, not medical advice.

Your GP or hip surgeon knows your history and can tell you which parts apply to you. If in doubt, get seen.

  • British Orthopaedic Association (BOA). Standards for hip surgery and sports injury care.

  • British Hip Society (BHS). Guidance on femoroacetabular impingement and labral pathology.

  • NICE. Developmental dysplasia of the hip - screening and management pathways.

  • Warwick Agreement on femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (2016 consensus statement).

Red flags

When a clicking hip needs urgent attention.

Most snapping hips are safely watched. These are the situations that aren’t - and where a specialist opinion is needed.

  • Clicky hip in a newborn

    Not a benign snapping hip - this needs urgent ultrasound to exclude developmental dysplasia of the hip before six weeks of age.

  • True locking of the hip

    Fixed catching or locking suggests a mechanical block - a loose body, displaced labral tear or osteochondral fragment needing hip surgery review.

  • Sudden severe groin pain

    Especially after twisting or a fall - consider fracture, subluxation or acute labral tear and arrange urgent imaging.

  • Constant rest pain or night pain

    Deep hip pain that will not settle warrants imaging to exclude infection, avascular necrosis or tumour.

  • Systemic features

    Fever, unexplained weight loss or night sweats alongside hip symptoms need same-day medical review.

  • Inability to weight-bear

    A hip that cannot take weight after a click or twist should be assessed urgently in an A&E setting.

  • Progressive weakness or numbness

    Neurological symptoms in the leg point away from a simple snapping hip and towards spinal or nerve pathology.

  • Suspected hip dysplasia in an adult

    A shallow socket and clicking in a young adult can accelerate to early osteoarthritis - specialist opinion matters.

  • Post-operative concerns

    New clicking, dislocation feelings or instability after hip surgery need prompt review by your operating surgeon.

Living with it

A common problem, with a sensible plan.

Four things that make the biggest difference day to day - reassurance, strengthening, activity tweaks and knowing when to escalate.

A quiet reminder

The click is a symptom, not a verdict.

Many happy hips click quietly for a lifetime - it is pain, locking or instability that changes the plan.

  1. 01 Reassure

    Painless clicks are usually fine

    A hip that clicks without pain, weakness or locking is almost always benign - keep moving and stay strong around it.

  2. 02 Strengthen

    Gluteals and core do the heavy lifting

    Weak abductors let the ITB snap harder - a simple, consistent glute and core programme changes the mechanics.

  3. 03 Adapt

    Modify, don’t abandon, your sport

    Drop volume, swap surfaces, adjust technique - most runners and dancers can keep training with the right tweaks.

  4. 04 Escalate

    Painful, catching or locking - get seen

    Pain, giving way or true locking is a different problem - MR arthrogram and specialist opinion move things forward.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about clicking hips.

Quick answers on causes, imaging, physio, injections and hip arthroscopy.

  • What is a clicking or snapping hip?

    A clicking hip - also called snapping hip syndrome or coxa saltans - is an audible or palpable click, snap or pop during hip movement. It can come from tendons flicking over bony landmarks on the outside (external) or in the groin (internal), or from problems inside the joint itself such as a labral tear.

  • Is a clicking hip serious?

    Usually not. A painless snap during walking, rising from a chair or a specific yoga pose is nearly always benign and does not damage the joint. Clicking that is painful, catches, locks or gives way is a different story and deserves proper assessment - often with an MR arthrogram.

  • What causes the snapping sound?

    In external snapping hip (about half of cases) the iliotibial band or gluteus maximus flicks over the greater trochanter. In internal snapping hip (about a third) the iliopsoas tendon rolls over the front of the pelvis. Intra-articular clicks (about a fifth) come from inside the joint - a torn labrum, loose body or femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).

  • How is a clicking hip diagnosed?

    With a careful history and examination first - your clinician will try to reproduce the click and test for impingement and labral signs. A pelvis X-ray screens for FAI and dysplasia. An MR arthrogram is the gold-standard scan for labral and cartilage problems, and dynamic ultrasound can capture a snapping tendon in real time.

  • What treatment works best?

    Most painless and mildly painful cases settle with physiotherapy - ITB and iliopsoas stretching, gluteal and core strengthening, and activity tweaks. Ultrasound-guided steroid injections help persistent tendon pain. Intra-articular problems (labral tears, FAI, loose bodies) are treated with hip arthroscopy. Refractory painful snapping tendons can be released endoscopically.

  • My baby has a clicky hip - what should I do?

    This is a completely different situation and needs urgent assessment. A clicky hip in a newborn can be a sign of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), which is treated with a Pavlik harness if caught early. Ask your GP or health visitor for a hip ultrasound referral - ideally before six weeks of age.

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