Hello dear. Yes this can happen either from a fall an accident stress or an inflammed bursa or spontaneously. Once a Glute tear occurs, it can detach, retract, and become fatty atrophy and basically die. It's a huge surgery and I recommend you get an MRI. I had 8 DR refuse to do an MRI. By the a lowly female PA ordered the MRI, the Surgeon was in shock when he read the report & saw if & said " I can't do anything with this -I have to refer you out" I don't know where you live but the fact that we are middle-aged women, most orthopedic surgeons do not -I repeat do not-know how to treat this! One told me he use to try to do repair surgery but was never very successful so doesn't do it any more. I have been dealing with a Glute tear for 9 years and been gaslighted by a number of doctors to the point that now it is so bad that the muscle has died and I'm looking at a muscle otransfer and the pain is agonizing, please private message me through this system and I will tell you what doctors I've tried depending on where you live. I don't want you to go through what I have. I just turned 72 and this happened 10 years ago I was extremely active and a part-time Alpine ski coach and Social Tango dancer and I can barely walk now