Bursitis, or inflammation of the bursa, can irritate and inflame the major bursae in the hip, which are the greater trochanteric bursa and the iliopsoas bursa. In most cases, hip bursitis involves the trochanteric bursa, which covers the point of the hip bone.

Trochanteric bursitis commonly causes pain that starts in the point of the hip and extends to the outside of the thigh. This pain is typically more intense in the early stages of bursitis and transitions to a widespread ache across the hip region as time goes on.