What is a Hip Labral Tear?

A hip labral tear is an injury to the cartilage lining at the rim of your hip socket.

Joints are the parts of your body where two bones come together. One of your joints is between the top of your thigh bone, the femur, and the hip bone called the pelvis. The top of the femur is one big ball that fits inside a scoop in your pelvis called the acetabulum.

The hip labrum is a soft, spongy tissue. It protects the socket of the acetabulum from bones rubbing against each other when they move. It helps the two bones of the hip move smoothly and seals up the space between them. It makes sure the bones are held together but not in touching contact.

A hip labral tear results from an injury to the labrum. If you have hip pain or stiffness that doesn't disappear in a few weeks, visit a healthcare provider.

What are the symptoms of a labral tear in the hip?

Hip labral tears usually cause the following symptoms:

Pain in your hip, especially when you bend, move, exercise, or engage in sports.
Stiffness
A clicking or popping sound and sensation when you move your hip.
Feeling unstable or like you're about to fall when you stand or move around.
Even minor labral hip tears can cause no symptoms at all. It may only be known that someone has one if it is diagnosed following the imaging test for another condition that allowed a doctor to see it.

What does it feel like to have a hip labral tear?

Everyone's pain is different. What type of hip pain you may feel will also depend on how severely your labrum is torn and whether you have other injuries. The pain typically feels like:

A steady ache.
Sharp and stabbing in some positions or during some activities, such as lying on that side or during exercise.
It originates from deeper within your body - it's not on the outside of your body, like the pain of a cramp or muscle ache. It may even feel like you hurt all around your bones.
It spreads (radiates). Many people with a tear of the labrum of the hip experience groin, lower back, or leg pain. You might change your gait, movement, or positioning without realizing it. This unconscious alteration of your posture can cause stress to your muscles and other tissue around your damaged hip.

What causes hip labral tears?

Anything that puts too much force on your hip can tear your labrum enough to cause damage to the joint. In most cases, it's because of:

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI): FAI occurs because your hip joint, naturally, is not fitted together correctly. When bones don't fit together well, they stress your hip labrum excessively. Over time, that stress and friction can tear the labrum. Providers also refer to FAI as hip impingement.
Injuries: Tears to the hip labrum can occur due to sports injuries, falls, or car accidents.
Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is "wear and tear" arthritis. Regular, everyday stress on your joints accumulates over the years to cause it. If you have osteoarthritis, the cartilage in your joint can wear down enough to tear your labrum.

What are the risk factors?

Any person can experience a traumatic injury that may compromise their hip joint, leading to tears in the labrum of the hips. The risk for labral tears is even higher among athletes who participate in activities that put immense pressure on their hip joints, such as hockey, dance, football, soccer, golf, or gymnastics. How are labral tears of the hips diagnosed?

A healthcare professional will diagnose a hip labral tear with some tests and a physical exam. The provider examines your hip and questions you regarding symptoms. Inform your doctor about the onset of pain, other symptoms, and any postures, movements, or activities that worsen them.

Your physician will likely require you to move and test your hip. You'll stand, bend, and walk. Let your doctor know what makes you feel pain and what is the worst.

Your doctor may order some imaging tests. That is because they need to photograph the tissue surrounding your hip joint. They may use any of the following:

Hip X-ray.
Ultrasound.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Computed tomography (CT) scan.

What are the treatments for a hip labral tear?

Your doctor will suggest treatments that help manage your symptoms. Surgical repair of a hip labral tear is the sole treatment, but some people can even be treated without surgery.

The most common types of treatments for hip labral tears are:

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers: NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen) or acetaminophen decrease inflammation and reduce pain. Only take pain relievers for 10 days in a row with consulting with your doctor.
Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids are prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs. Corticosteroids: These are anti-inflammatory drugs that belong to the group of corticosteroid medications. A doctor may inject a corticosteroid into your hip joint.
Physical therapy: A physiotherapist will prescribe you with stretches and exercises so that the muscles around your affected hip joint get strengthened, and you become flexible.

Hip Labral Tear Surgery:

Your doctor might need to operate to repair the tear in your hip labrum if you are facing extreme symptoms or other treatments have not worked after a few months.

They will probably do an arthroscopy of your hip. Your surgeon will repair the tear in your hip labrum and fix other damage in your hip joint. If you have impingement in your hip, they may reshape the bones in your joint so they move better.

Hip arthroscopies are often outpatient surgery, meaning you can leave the hospital the same day. Your provider or surgeon will explain what to expect.

Can a tear be self-healing?

No, a hip labrum tear cannot be self-repairing. The only solution is surgery to repair the torn hip labrum. Although some tears are so minor that they do not cause pain or symptoms, those tears will heal without surgical intervention.

Except in cases where the symptoms are severe, you can even live with a tear of the labrum without surgery if the tear does not affect your quality of life or your way of living.

Do not ignore pain, stiffness, or other symptoms. If the hip pain persists for a duration of weeks and shows no improvement with rest and home treatment, then a visit to a medical provider is in order.

How do I prevent a hip labral tear?

You usually can't do anything to avoid getting a hip labral tear. Most result from the natural curve of your hip joint (if you have FAI), a medical condition you cannot prevent (like osteoarthritis), or some sort of unexpected injury.

Practice these general safety tips to minimize the risk of an injury:
Clear your home and workspace of debris that can cause tripping for you or others.
Always use the correct equipment or gadgets in the house to get products. Never stand on chairs, tables or top counters.
For example, you should use a cane or walker if you have a history of having a hard time walking and if you're at risk of falling.

In sports or other exercises:

Wear the appropriate protective gear.
Do not "play through pain" if your hip aches during or after exercise.
Give your body time to rest and recover after intense exercise.
Always start with stretching and warm up before exercising or playing sports.
Cool down and stretch after engaging in physical activity.

What is my outlook if I have a tear in the labrum of my hip?

For most patients with a tear of the hip labrum, a regimen of treatments can manage the pain and symptoms. If you are still having pain or other symptoms despite trying medications and a physical therapist, speak with your provider. He or she can let you know when you might be a surgical candidate.

As bad as hip labral tears are notorious for not healing by themselves, you needn't suffer with it in a constant state of pain or discomfort. You'll need to discuss your condition with your provider if you feel that your symptoms are changing especially if they're worsening or interfering with your ability to carry out your daily routine.

How long it take to recover from hip labral tear?

Recovery usually takes four to six months from the procedure. However, your surgeon would be able to tell you exactly what you need to do in relation to your specific case.

If conservative, nonsurgical treatments are used, there can't be a predicted recovery timeline. That's because medicines and physical therapy technically do not repair the tear. However, you may never require surgery if you can control your symptoms and they do not impact daily activities.

Can you walk with a torn labrum in your hip?

This is a large tear. Many people can walk with this tear. Some people do not hurt at all. Some people can walk and be active, but they will be very uncomfortable.

Even if you can walk, exercise, or get around, you may not be safe to engage in strenuous physical activity. Discuss this with your provider as you decide which activities are safe.

Living With

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Hip pain is a common complaint, and most causes will be eased by rest, ice, and over-the-counter pain relievers. See a healthcare provider if hip pain, stiffness, and other symptoms do not improve after several weeks. Do not ignore pain that recurs or worsens.

If any of the following symptoms apply to you, get emergency care: