Injection of the hip joint provides both diagnostic and therapeutic information.

Under live and intermittent fluoroscopy, a needle is inserted into the joint capsule. Following verification of needle placement using radiopaque contrast, a combination of steroid and local anesthetic is injected into the joint. If purely diagnostic information is desired, injection of anesthetic alone may be performed.

Hip joint injection is useful in the non-surgical management of hip pain due to cartilage tears and degenerative disease. It is also useful to differentiate primary hip pain from back or nerve pain.