In everyday clinical practice however, irritable hip is commonly used as a synonym for transient synovitis.

The Role of Ultrasound in the Irritable Hip.

In addition to the terms mentioned above, irritable hip has historically been termed transitory coxitis, coxitis fugax, acute transient epiphysitis, coxitis serosa seu simplex, phantom hip disease and observation hip.

The term irritable hip refers to the syndrome of acute hip pain, joint stiffness, limp or non-weightbearing, indicative of an underlying condition such as transient synovitis or orthopedic infections (like septic arthritis or osteomyelitis).