UNDERSTANDING GLUTEAL TENDINOPATHY: DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. A NARRATIVE REVIEW

D. Tarantino¹, R. Pellegrino^2,3*, A. Di Iorio⁴, R. Mottola⁵, R. Saggini⁶, C. Ruosi⁷ and R. Aicale⁸

¹Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy;
²Department of Medicine, LUM University, 70010 Casamassima, Italy;
³Santa Chiara Institute, Lecce, 73100, Italy;
⁴Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti-Pescara, 66100, Italy;
⁵Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy;
⁶Faculty of Psychology, ECampus University, Novedrate, Italy;
⁷Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy;
⁸Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Casa di Cura di Bernardini, 74121 Taranto, Italy.

*Corresponding author:
Raffaello Pellegrino, MD
Department of Medicine,
LUM University,
70010 Casamassima, Italy.
e-mail: r.pellegrino@lum.it

Received: 26 October 2024 Accepted: 17 December 2024

ISSN 2975-044X (online) ISSN 2038-4106 (print) Copyright © by BIOLIFE 2024 This publication and/or article is for individual use only and may not be further reproduced without written permission from the copyright holder. Unauthorized reproduction may result in financial and other penalties. Disclosure: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

ABSTRACT

Gluteal tendinopathy, a prevalent cause of lateral hip pain, primarily affects the tendons of the gluteus medius (GMed) and minimus (GMin). This condition is commonly seen in middle-aged women and athletes, often resulting from repetitive stress, overuse, or biomechanical abnormalities. Diagnosing gluteal tendinopathy requires a comprehensive approach including patient history, physical examination, and imaging modalities such as ultrasound (US) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which are essential for confirming tendon pathology and ruling out other hip pathologies. Management strategies focus on conservative treatments as the first line of intervention. These include patient education, activity modification, drugs, and structured physiotherapy programs emphasizing load management and progressive strengthening exercises. Adjunct therapies like extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and corticosteroid (CS) injections can be considered in persistent cases. Surgical intervention is reserved for refractory cases where conservative treatments fail. This review aims to consolidate current diagnostic criteria, highlight effective management protocols, and discuss emerging treatments for gluteal tendinopathy to optimize patient outcomes.

KEYWORDS: tendinopathy, gluteal tendinopathy, gluteal tendinitis, gluteal tendinosis, gluteal bursitis, hip tendinopathy, greater trochanteric pain