The labrum is a fibrocartilage ring that surrounds your hip joint and provides stability to it. The labrum serves as rubber seal and deepens your hip socket. It also protects your joint by reducing the stress transmitted to the joint.
A hip labral tear is damage to the labrum that can be due to sudden injury or gradually over a period of time. Damage to the cartilage can become severe since the cartilage cells cannot repair themselves and causes delayed healing. The tear of the hip labrum may reduce the joint stability and cause orthopedic complications later in life. It is estimated that nearly 22 percent of athletes who reports about pain in the groin have a labral tear in hip.
You may experience the following symptoms:
Individuals who perform sports or physical activities that require repeated twisting or pivoting motions and individuals with previous hip problems are at increased risk for the hip labral tear.
Your doctor diagnoses the condition with a thorough physical examination that involves assessing the range of motion of your hip. Your doctor might order any of the following tests.
Imaging scans: Your doctor recommends an X-ray of the hip to visualize the bone. It helps to identify any fracture or structural abnormalities. Your doctor might order a magnetic resonance imaging for detailed images of your hip’s soft tissues. Sometimes, a contrast material is injected into your hip joint to find out the exact location of the labral tear.Following are the causes of a tear in the hip labrum:
Your doctor might recommend the treatment based on the severity of symptoms. The treatment may range from simple conservative therapy to arthroscopic surgery for repairing the labral tear.
