Labral Tear (Hip)

 The labrum is a pad of fibrocartilage deep in the hip joint.  The hip is a ball-in-socket joint with the ball from the thigh bone (femur) and the socket from the pelvis (acetabulum).  The labrum is a pad of cartilage that lies between the femoral head (ball) and the acetabulum (socket).  It acts as a stabilizer and a shock absorber in the hip.  Labral tears are common in athletes. When tears in the labrum occur, patients can experience pain deep in the hip joint.  There are many different causes for tears.  When a labral tear is symptomatic and patients have failed non-surgical measures such as physical therapy, activity modification and medication, it may be repaired arthroscopically.