Private Hip Ultrasound Scan in London

At London Private Ultrasound a hip and upper thigh ultrasound costs £199 for one hip and £299 for both hips, all-inclusive, at our Central London and St Albans clinics. Across London, a private hip scan usually costs about £160 to £250 for one hip.

Our price includes the scan, results explained on the day and a written report within 24 hours. Booking both hips saves £99 compared with two separate single-hip scans.

It is the same appointment as a hip scan, described two ways. It covers the outer hip and gluteal tendons, the front of the hip and groin, the buttock and hamstring origin, and the muscles of the upper thigh down towards the knee. At London Private Ultrasound the upper thigh is included as standard at no extra cost.

A hip ultrasound detects the soft-tissue causes of hip, groin and upper thigh pain: greater trochanteric pain syndrome, gluteal tendon tears, trochanteric and iliopsoas bursitis, snapping hip, hip flexor, groin and hamstring strains, thigh muscle tears and haematoma, fluid in the hip joint, a trapped thigh nerve (meralgia paraesthetica), hernias and lumps.

It does not show the inside of the joint, so the labrum, cartilage and bone need an X-ray or MRI.

Yes, all three are part of the same appointment at one price. The groin covers the adductors and a hernia check, the hamstring origin at the sit bone is checked for tendinopathy and tears, and the upper thigh covers the quadriceps, adductor and hamstring muscles for tears, haematoma and lumps. Pain at the knee or below is a different scan, and we will tell you which one to book.

Yes, and it tells them apart. Pain on the bony point of the outer hip is now called greater trochanteric pain syndrome, and in most cases the gluteal tendons are the main problem, with any bursa swelling secondary.

This matters because a tendon problem usually responds to a loading programme, while a swollen bursa is more likely to respond to an ultrasound-guided injection. Scanning both hips makes the comparison more reliable.

Yes. Snapping hip only happens on movement, so a still MRI can miss it. During the scan you move your hip while the clinician watches live, so a snap from the iliopsoas tendon at the front or the iliotibial band on the outside is seen as it happens. The same scan checks the iliopsoas bursa and the hip flexor tendons for strains and tears.

Not directly. Hip arthritis and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) involve the joint surfaces, cartilage, labrum and bone shape, which sit too deep for ultrasound, so they are diagnosed on X-ray and MRI.

Ultrasound can show fluid or inflammation at the front of the joint, and it answers a useful question: whether your pain is coming from the tendons and bursae outside the joint instead. If your symptoms point to the joint, we will tell you on the day.

Not reliably. The labrum is a ring of cartilage deep inside the hip socket, too deep for ultrasound to show properly, so a suspected labral tear is diagnosed on MRI, sometimes with contrast injected into the joint (an MR arthrogram).

Ultrasound is still useful for deep groin pain and clicking, because the iliopsoas tendon, hip flexors and adductors can cause similar symptoms. It can also show fluid at the front of the joint or a cyst beside it. If your symptoms point to the labrum or hip impingement, we will tell you on the day and explain that an MRI is the next step.

Yes. Ultrasound is good at showing a hip effusion, which is extra fluid at the front of the hip joint, and synovitis, a thickened, inflamed joint lining. It can measure the fluid and compare it with your other hip, which is one reason scanning both hips is useful. The tendons and bursae around the joint, which cause similar pain, are checked in the same scan.

Ultrasound shows that fluid is there, but not always why. Overuse, injury, arthritis, inflammatory conditions and infection can all cause it, so you may need blood tests, an X-ray, an MRI or sometimes a needle sample (aspiration). Go to A&E for a hot, red, swollen hip with a fever, or a hip replacement that suddenly becomes painful.

It depends on where it hurts. Ultrasound is the first test for pain on the outside of the hip, in the groin muscles and hip flexors, at the sit bone and in the upper thigh. X-ray comes first for suspected arthritis, impingement or a possible fracture, and MRI is best for the labrum, cartilage and stress fractures. Call 020 7101 3377 and describe where it hurts, and we will tell you which scan you need before you book.

Yes. For a lump on the hip, buttock or thigh, ultrasound shows its size, depth, which layer it sits in, whether it is solid or fluid-filled and whether it has a blood supply. That usually tells a harmless lipoma, cyst, ganglion, bursa or old haematoma apart from something that needs more tests. If anything looks unusual, we say so on the day and arrange the right next step, such as an MRI.

It is painless, with no needles and nothing internal. Allow about 25 to 35 minutes for one hip, or a little longer for both. The clinician may press on the tender spot to match your pain to the picture, which can briefly reproduce your symptoms. You can walk, drive and carry on with your day straight afterwards.

Most people book both hips, and it is the option we recommend for most hip pain. At £299 it saves £99 compared with two single-hip scans, and measuring your painful side against the other gives a more reliable answer, especially for outer hip pain with no clear injury. Book one hip at £199 when one side is clearly painful after a specific injury.

Yes. If the scan confirms a treatable problem, an ultrasound-guided injection can often be arranged, such as a trochanteric or iliopsoas bursa injection, a hip joint injection or aspiration of a collection. Live ultrasound places the needle exactly where it is needed, which matters at the hip because the bursae and tendons sit deep. Treatment is booked and charged separately from the scan.

No. You can book directly online or by phone on 020 7101 3377, and same-day or next-day appointments are often available. Referrals from physiotherapists, osteopaths, consultants and GPs are welcome. On the NHS a hip ultrasound needs a referral, and waiting times vary by area.

Our Central London clinic is at 27 Welbeck Street, W1G 8EN, in the Harley Street Medical District, two minutes from Bond Street on the Elizabeth line. Our second clinic is at 54–56 Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3HZ, near St Albans City station. Both run the same hip and upper thigh scan, £199 for one hip and £299 for both, 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm.