What is a labral tear?
The labrum is a fibrocartilage rim that surrounds the hip joint and gives it stability. The fibrocartilage deepens the socket, seals the joint and protects it by decreasing impact. A tear to the labrum can cause pain in the front, side or back, of the hip. The pain usually worsens with walking, pivoting or impact activities such as running. The pain also occurs at night and can be associated with clicking, catching or locking. Boulder, Colorado, orthopedic hip and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Austin Chen specializes in treating labral tears.
Labral tears can occur in a traumatic event, a fall or a collision with another player. However, it is also damaged through overuse injuries. The most common being from rotational motions of the hip such as those used in soccer, hockey, golf and dance. If abnormal structural physiology exists, such as femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and dysplasia of the hip, this can increase the risk of a labral tear.
What are the symptoms of a labral tear?
Labral tears frequently go undiagnosed due to the overlap of symptoms with hip flexor tendonitis, hip bursitis and other soft tissue injuries to the hip. A torn labrum can cause a patient to experience deep, sharp pain in the groin area. Pain may radiate into the thigh or down the leg, and may be dull or sharp. Clicking, catching, locking stiffness, feelings of instability, weakness and decreased athletic performance are also symptoms of a labral tear.
What is the treatment for labral tears in the hip?
Fortunately, not all labral tears in the hip require surgery. A combination of relative rest (avoiding activities that cause pain), anti-inflammatory medicines and a focused course of physical therapy are the first choice for the treatment of a labral tear. Many times the pain, mechanical symptoms (popping, clicking, locking) and decreased mobility improve with these measures and the athlete is able to return to sport.
The physical therapy protocol is very specific to the individual and addresses the biomechanical faults that placed the hip at risk for a labral tear in the first place. It is very important for the athlete to address these issues to avoid re-injury. If these measures do not succeed, then Dr. Chen may consider surgery. Arthroscopic repair of the labrum can effectively treat pain, and may restore the lubrication, function and stability of the hip joint. Regardless of whether surgery is required or not, it is important to restore pain-free functioning of the hip.
