Labral Tear

A labral tear is a tear in the cartilage that holds the hip joint together, which is called the labrum. The labrum cushions the hip joint and helps hold the thighbone in the socket.

This type of tear can be caused by injury to the joint, repetitive motions, or hip issues you're born with.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a labral tear include:

• Hip pain
• Groin pain
• Locking or clicking sensation in the hip
• Hip stiffness
• Limited range of motion in the hip

Treatments

Some people recover from a labral tear with rest and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications. This can take a few weeks.

Other people may need nonsurgical treatments like physical therapy and corticosteroid injections.

If the tear is severe or other treatments don't work, you may need the labrum surgically repaired. A surgeon will either remove the part of the labrum that's torn or sew it back together, depending on the location and size of the tear.

Risk Factors

There are certain things that increase your risk of a labral tear, including:

• Activities that involve repetitive or twisting hip motions, such as golf, swimming, or ballet
• Activities that increase your risk of traumatic hip injuries, such as football
• Hip impingement
• Hip dysplasia
• Loose ligaments