Which finding is NOT typical in trochanteric bursitis?

• A. Pain over the lateral hip with tenderness
• B. Visible swelling of the hip
• C. Pain with weight bearing
• D. No gross abnormalities or swelling

Answer: (B)

Trochanteric bursitis is an inflammation of the bursa over the greater trochanter, so the typical picture is localized tenderness over the lateral hip with pain when the hip is moved or weight is borne. This reflects irritation of a soft tissue structure rather than a joint problem, so you usually don’t see visible swelling or joint deformity. Therefore, a finding of visible swelling of the hip is not typical. When assessing, the presence of lateral hip pain with focal tenderness and pain on weight bearing fits well with trochanteric bursitis, while the absence of gross abnormality or swelling aligns with a soft-tissue inflammation rather than an intra-articular process.