MR imaging of the hip abductors: normal anatomy and commonly encountered pathology at the greater trochanter.

Lateral hip pain, also referred to as the greater trochanteric pain syndrome, is a commonly encountered clinical problem with a broad set of differential considerations. A detailed understanding of the osseous anatomy of the greater trochanter, the correspond-ing attachment sites of the abductors of the hip, and the spatial and anatomic relations of their corresponding bursae is crucial to the accurate characterization and localization of pathologic findings in these structures. This article reviews the anatomy and pathologic findings of the osseous and soft tissue anatomy of the greater trochanter.