Overview of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Greater trochanter pain syndrome (GTPS) is a common cause of pain in your outer thigh. It refers to a group of conditions that cause pain near the top of your femur.

GTPS used to be called greater trochanteric bursitis because it used to be thought that pain was primarily caused by bursitis, inflammation of fluid-filled sacs in your hip called bursae. It’s now known that injury to the tendons of your gluteus medius and minimus muscles are the primary cause of pain and that bursitis rarely occurs in this part of your hip by itself.

About 1.8 people per 1,000 per year develop GTPS, and women are affected about 2 to 3 times more often than men.

Keep reading to learn more about this common hip condition, including symptoms, causes, and treatment options.