Hip Abductors

Hip abductors are a set of muscles near your hips that help you walk and maintain your balance.

They move your legs out, away from the center of your body. “Abduction” is the medical term for this kind of movement. That’s where these muscles get their name. They also help you rotate your legs in.

Hip abductors are very strong. When you run or climb stairs, they can exert a force equal to five times your body weight.

What do hip abductors do?

Your hip adductors play a big part in helping you stand and walk. They act like counterweights that help you keep your balance.

The set of abductors on one side of your body pulls your pelvis in the opposite direction that your other leg is moving. For example, when you lift your left foot off the ground, the abductors near your right hip pull on your pelvis to keep it from dipping to the left. This helps you stay balanced without your whole lower body tipping over.

Where are hip abductors located?

You have three hip abductors on either side of your pelvis:

• Gluteus medius: This attaches to your pelvis just above the main muscle in your butt (gluteus maximus). It extends down and away from the center of your body and attaches near the top and back of your thigh bone.
• Gluteus minimus: This connects to your pelvis slightly lower and just underneath the gluteus medius. It also attaches to the top of your thigh bone.
• Tensor fascia lata: This muscle starts at your pelvis and runs along the outside of your hip. Partway down your thigh, it turns into a band of connective tissue called the iliotibial tract. This attaches to the upper front of your knee.

What are the common conditions and disorders that affect hip abductors?

Lots of injuries and health conditions can affect your hip abductors, including:

• Strains: You can strain any muscle if it takes too much force.
• Hip dislocations: Dislocating a bone in your hip can damage your abductors.
• Broken bones: Breaking your hip or thigh bone can damage muscles around your abductors.
• Leg-Calve-Perthes disease: Abductor weakness is a symptom of this rare bone disease that affects children.
• Trendelenburg gait: This happens when abductors on one side of your body are too weak to hold your pelvis level.
• Trochanteric bursitis: This can cause pain in your hip and abductors when there’s irritation in the fluid-filled bursa that cushions the top of your femur in your hip joint.

Signs of a hip abductor injury

You’ll feel pain in or around your hip if you have an abductor injury. Pain might spread (radiate) to your groin.

You might notice the pain gets better or worse during certain movements. For example, it might hurt more first thing in the morning after sleeping on your hip, or after you’ve been sitting for a long time. Pain may be worse when you’re doing a physical activity, like moving or exercising.

If you have Trendelenburg gait, your pelvis will dip to one side when you’re walking. Healthcare providers call this Trendelenburg sign. You might not see or feel this change to how you walk (your gait). Your provider or loved ones may point it out before you notice it in yourself.