Four Important Questions About Labral Tear Hip Injuries
The hip is one of the largest and most stable joints of the body.
It is designed to facilitate movements such as bending, stepping, twisting and jumping. The ball-in-socket design of this joint makes it the perfect meeting place for the femur (thigh bone) and the acetabulum (pelvis) and it is a critical part of our body that allows us to perform sports and higher level activities.
When the hip is healthy and functioning properly, a person can enjoy a wide range of pain-free movements. However, when a labral tear hip injury occurs, deep pain in the hip joint can become debilitating.
What is the Labrum?
The hip is a ball-in-socket joint and the labrum is a pad of cartilage that resides along the rim of the socket. This crescent shaped fibrocartilage structure helps to stabilize the joint and support the smooth, gliding motion that is characteristic of healthy hip joints.
How Does a Labral Tear Hip Injury Occur?
Labral tears are primarily caused in a few ways:
- Tears of the acetabular labrum are usually due to a problem with the shape of the hip joint, most commonly known as "impingement" or FAI (femoroacetabular impingement). They can also be secondary to hip dysplasia.
- Labral tears usually occur secondary to FAI and gradual wear down of the cartilage secondary to a bony conflict from FAI
- In patients with underlying FAI that are athletes, the labrum may tear secondary to the high stress placed across the hip joint
- Degenerative tears of the labrum may occur with osteoarthritis and are secondary to the underlying DJD
Regardless of how the labral tears occurs, most patients report pain in the hip & groin region that is usually achy and occasionally sharp
What Are Labral Tear Treatment Options?
Surgeons at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute work one-on-one with patients to diagnose and recommend specific treatment options on a case by case basis. The initial treatment options include rest, activity modification, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and activity modification.
If these approaches do not produce the desired outcome, the physician may recommend a surgical approach. Candidates for hip arthroscopic surgery include athletes with significant hip pain with a labral tear, pre-arthritic patients with hip pain and a labral tear, and those with labral tears +/-FAI.
Why Should I Go to Rothman Orthopaedic Institute?
If you’re suffering from a labral tear hip injury, there’s only one place to go. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute is known and respected among the nation’s top orthopedic care providers.
Our hip program is specifically well-respected for the following reasons:
- We have the Delaware Valley’s only Hip Arthroscopy Program that has board certified hip surgeons performing procedures in both PA and NJ.
- Our surgeons are leaders in the field of hip arthroscopy and hip preservation. They routinely teach and instruct other orthopedic surgeons nationally and internationally on how to properly perform these cutting edge techniques.
- Our hip team is world-renowned for their research and pioneering advancements within this subspecialty. Our physicians are often asked to speak around the world on the topics of hip arthroscopy, hip preservation, and new surgical techniques.
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute physicians perform over 9,000 surgeries annually with high success rates and impressive patient outcomes.
For more information, please visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.