Calcific tendinitis of gluteus maximus insertion

Abstract

Calcific tendinitis, classified as enthesopathy, is a self-limiting disease that rarely involves the tendons of the gluteus maximus. We discuss a 52-year-old woman with a 1-year history of localized, reproducible posterolateral pain of her left hip, which was previously treated with steroid injection to her left greater trochanteric bursa without significant pain relief. Plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging of the left hip revealed abnormal edema and calcifications at the insertion of the gluteus maximus tendon to the gluteal tuberosity, corresponding to the area of maximal tenderness on examination. This case report contributes to the growing medical literature for the rare presentation of calcific tendinitis of gluteus maximus insertion and reinforces the importance of the patient history, focused physical examination with special testing, and pertinent imaging for proper diagnosis and management.