Greater Trochanter–Iliotibial Band Distance in Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome
Niyazi Igde1, Ahmet Keskin2, Mustafa Serpi21Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Special Levent Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye, 2Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Istanbul Metin Sabanci Baltalimani Bone Diseases Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye
Objectives: The aim of this study whether the greater trochanter–iliotibial band (GT–ITB) distance measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is associated with greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). Methods: A total of 384 patients with clinically diagnosed GTPS and 384 asymptomatic controls were included and matched 1:1 by age and sex. The GT–ITB distance was defined as the shortest distance between the greater trochanter and the ITB on axial MRI at maximal trochanteric prominence. Group comparisons, sex-stratified analyses, logistic regression models, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed. Results: The mean GT–ITB distance was slightly shorter in the GTPS group compared with controls (p=0.049). In sex-stratified analyses, this difference was significant in women (p=0.005) but not in men. In adjusted logistic regression, each 1-mm increase in GT–ITB distance was associated with a modest reduction in the odds of GTPS (OR 0.964; 95% CI 0.930–0.999). The association remained significant in women but not in men. Discriminative performance was poor (AUC 0.54). Conclusion: A shorter GT–ITB distance was weakly associated with GTPS, predominantly in women. Although not diagnostically discriminatory, this measurement may reflect a morphological factor related to peritrochanteric compression in GTPS. Keywords: GTPS, Hip Pain, Iliotibial Band, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Trochanteric Bursitis
Cite This Article
Igde N, Keskin A, Serpi M. Greater Trochanter–Iliotibial Band Distance in Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome. EJMI. 2026; 10(1): 32-36
Corresponding Author: Niyazi Igde