| Avascular necrosis of the femoral head | Pain with insidious onset that is worse with weight bearing; recent trauma or corticosteroid use | Pain with all hip motions, antalgic gait | Radiography, MRI | Surgery or close observation by an orthopedic surgeon |
| Bursitis | Hip pain with exercise or direct pressure | Tender bursa over greater trochanter or iliopsoas tendon; may accompany intra-articular hip pathology | Usually none; MRI or ultrasonography can confirm | Physical therapy, corticosteroid injection; arthroscopic debridement if refractory |
| Cancer | Fever, night sweats, night pain, weight loss, history of cancer | Soft tissue mass near hip (e.g., sarcoma), pelvic mass, lumbar radiculopathy (if lumbar tumor) | Radiography, CT (hip, pelvis, or lumbar spine, depending on suspected location) | Radiation, chemotherapy, surgery |
| Hernia (inguinal, femoral) | Groin pain | Hernia palpated in inguinal or femoral canal | None | Surgery |
| Infectious arthritis of the hip | Severe pain with recent onset, difficulty moving the hip, recent surgery, intravenous drug use | Pain with hip motion, guarding | Radiography, complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, joint aspiration | Joint aspiration and irrigation, antibiotics |
| Intra-articular loose bodies | Hip pain with exercise; recent trauma or overuse | Hip pain with log roll or Patrick (FABER) test | Radiography, magnetic resonance arthrography | Arthroscopy |
| Lumbar spine pathology (e.g., T12-L2 disk herniation, degenerative disease) | Pain with walking or prolonged sitting; possible numbness, tingling, or weakness in lower extremities | Limited lumbar motion; normal hip examination; sensory or motor abnormalities in lower extremities; positive straight leg raise (possibly) | Radiography, MRI | Physical therapy, analgesics, surgery |
| Muscle strain | Pain early in exercise, recent increase in exercise | Tender muscle, pain with stretching and with resistance of the affected muscle | None | Ice, rest, physical therapy |
| Osteoarthritis | Pain radiating to the groin, stiffness, age older than 40 years | Pain with hip rotation or Patrick (FABER) test, limited range of motion late in disease process | Radiography | Physical therapy, analgesics, surgical hip replacement or resurfacing if refractory |
| Pelvic pathology (e.g., endometriosis, ovarian mass, colon cancer) | Pain unrelated to position or activity | Tenderness or mass on pelvic examination | Ultrasonography, CT, endoscopy, or laparoscopy as indicated | Treat the cause |