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Hip Arthroscopy & Preservation

Gluteus Medius Tendon Repair for the Outside-of-Hip Pain That Won't Quit

When does a torn gluteus medius tendon need surgery?

Gluteus medius tendon repair is a surgery that reattaches the torn hip abductor tendons to the outside of the hip bone, done endoscopically or through a small open incision. It is considered for full-thickness tears or partial tears that keep causing outside-of-hip pain and a limp despite physical therapy and injections.

Many people with pain on the outside of the hip are told they have bursitis and get injection after injection. Sometimes the real problem is a tear in the gluteus medius or minimus tendons, the hip abductors that keep your pelvis level with every step. These tears are often called the rotator cuff tear of the hip, and they are especially common in women over 50.

Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Stride, MD, board-certified orthopedic surgeon
Last reviewed October 2026
Woman lying awake at night with a hand on her painful hip

At a glance

Also called
gluteal tendon tear surgery, hip abductor repair, rotator cuff tear of the hip, gluteus minimus repair
Typical recovery
Months 6 to 12
Ask about this treatment →(713) 555-0168

Is Gluteus Medius Tendon Repair right for you?

Usually a good fit if

  • Outside-of-hip pain that keeps returning after injections and a full course of physical therapy
  • A limp, a Trendelenburg gait (hip dropping on one side) or weakness standing on one leg
  • A full-thickness or high-grade partial tear on MRI or ultrasound
  • Pain lying on that side that disrupts sleep for months
  • Abductor tears found after a prior hip replacement

Another option may be better if

  • Mild tendinopathy without a tear, which usually responds to loading exercises
  • Chronic tears with severe muscle wasting on MRI, which may need a tendon transfer rather than a repair
  • Patients who cannot follow 6 or more weeks of protected weight bearing

What happens, step by step

  1. A careful outside-of-hip exam

    Dr. Stride presses directly over the greater trochanter, checks single-leg stance for 30 seconds, tests resisted abduction and watches you walk. He also checks the lower back, since L5 nerve irritation can mimic this pain.

  2. Imaging the tendon

    An MRI or ultrasound shows whether the tendon is irritated, partly torn or fully torn and how much muscle quality remains. That information shapes the plan.

  3. Endoscopic or open repair

    The tendon is anchored back to the bone with suture anchors, much like a shoulder rotator cuff repair. Smaller tears are often repaired through small portals with a camera, while larger or retracted tears may need a small open incision.

  4. Protection while it heals

    You leave with crutches and sometimes a brace that limits certain hip motions while the tendon grows back to bone.

Typical recovery timeline

Weeks 0 to 6

Crutches with toe-touch or partial weight bearing. Motion that pulls on the repair, like crossing the legs, is avoided. Physical therapy starts with gentle passive motion.

Weeks 6 to 8

Weight bearing increases and crutches are weaned. Many people sleep better already.

Months 2 to 3

Active abductor strengthening begins. Walking distance and stair climbing improve week by week.

Months 3 to 6

Longer walks, the gym, gardening and golf come back gradually.

Months 6 to 12

Strength keeps building. Abductor repairs are slow healers, and the last bits of improvement often show up near the one-year mark.

Timelines are typical ranges. Your plan depends on your hip, your health and what was done in surgery.

“If you have had three or four bursitis shots and the side of your hip still hurts, I want an MRI before anyone gives you a fifth. A torn tendon will not heal from cortisone. Fixing it is slow, but getting rid of the limp is worth the wait.”

Dr. Stride, MD

Frequently asked questions

Is it bursitis or a gluteus medius tear?

Bursitis and gluteal tendon problems cause similar outside-of-hip pain, and they often occur together. Weakness, a limp and pain that keeps returning after injections point toward a tendon tear, which an MRI or ultrasound can confirm.

Can a torn gluteus medius heal on its own?

Tendinopathy and many small partial tears improve with targeted loading exercises and time. A full-thickness tear pulled off the bone does not reattach on its own, and it may grow larger over time.

How long does it take to recover from gluteus medius repair?

Expect about 6 weeks on crutches with limited weight, then several months of strengthening. Most people return to normal walking by 3 months, and full recovery commonly takes 6 to 12 months.

Can a gluteus medius tear happen after hip replacement?

Abductor tendon tears are sometimes found after hip replacement and can cause ongoing outside-of-hip pain and a limp. In selected cases they can be repaired, which is one reason Dr. Stride evaluates pain after a hip replacement carefully.

Related treatments

Injections

Trochanteric Bursa Injection

A trochanteric bursa injection places cortisone and numbing medicine over the bony point on the outside of the hip to calm hip bursitis and gluteal tendon pain.

Read more →Diagnosis

Hip X-ray & MRI

Hip X-rays and MRI answer different questions.

Read more →Non-surgical

Hip Physical Therapy

Physical therapy helps many types of hip pain, including arthritis, gluteal tendinopathy, hip impingement and many labral tears.

Read more →Injections

PRP Hip Injection

A PRP hip injection uses platelets concentrated from your own blood and injected into the hip joint or a damaged tendon.

Read more →

Hip pain this can help with

Hip pain · Outside of hip

Pain on the Outside of the Hip

Pain on the outside of the hip is most often greater trochanteric pain syndrome, an irritation of the gluteus medius and minimus tendons and the bursa over the bony point of the hip.

Causes & treatment →Hip pain · symptom

Hip Pain When Walking

Hip pain when walking is most often caused by hip osteoarthritis, which brings a groin ache and a limp, or by gluteal tendinopathy, which causes outer hip pain.

Causes & treatment →
From the Hip Health Library

Questions patients ask about this

All guides →
Dr. Stride explaining a hip with a pelvis model to a patient and her husband
Arthritis & Hip Replacement

How Long Does Hip Bursitis Last (and Why Won't Mine Go Away)?

With the right exercise program, many people with hip bursitis improve noticeably within about two months.

6 min read Read
SourcesReferences used for this page2

Medically reviewed by Dr. Stride, MD against current guidance from these sources. Last reviewed October 2026. How we write and review content

  1. Surgical Treatment and Outcomes for Gluteal Tendon Tears (opens in a new tab) Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine (PMC)
  2. Gluteal Tendinopathy: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment (opens in a new tab) Cleveland Clinic
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