Hip Spine Syndrome: Management of Patients With Concurrent Hip and Spine Degenerative Pathologies

Hip-spine syndrome (HSS) is characterized by the presence of concurrent hip and spine degenerative conditions. It can be further classified as simple, secondary, complex, or misdiagnosis. Patients may present with a myriad of symptoms, including low back pain, groin pain, radicular leg pain, and neurogenic claudication, with or without neurological deficits. Treatment of HSS is complex and involves a multidisciplinary team of spine surgeons, hip surgeons, pain physiatrists, and physical therapists. In treating HSS, it is imperative to first identify the primary pain generator through a thorough hip and spine examination and diagnostic and therapeutic injections. The decision whether to operate on the hip or spine first is multifaceted and depends on clinical, radiographic, and surgical considerations. In this article, we review the most recent literature on the management of patients with HSS, with an emphasis on surgical treatment.