Hip labral tear
What is hip labral tear?
The hip or acetabular labrum is a thin ridge of cartilage that runs around the edge or rim of your hip joint socket. A hip labral tear can occur when the labrum is torn from its attachment and cause pain, clicking or catching. Pain is usually deep, although may present as vague groin pain.
Symptoms are usually exacerbated with weight-bearing and twisting activities. There maybe locking, catching or clicking felt deep in the hip joint. Some people tear their labrum traumatically from falls or sporting injuries when the hip is forced into extreme positions. It can also be damaged by repetitive micro-trauma in sports that require regular rotation of the hip – like golf, football, hockey, and ballet.
Treatment for hip labral tear
Physiotherapy treatment will focus on improving hip range of motion and muscle balance around the hip region.
Our physiotherapy may include:
- Frictioning tendon to promote healing and improve mobility
- Myofascial and deep tissue release for muscle tightness
- Trigger point release
- Acupuncture and dry needling to reduce pain and muscle tightness
- Muscle energy techniques
- Gait and running re-education / biomechanical assessment
- Individualised exercise programme incorporating strengthening, stretching and proprioception (PhysioQinetics Youtube Channel)
- Sport-specific rehabilitation
If there is persistent pain and clicking, surgical repair may be required. The procedure also aims improve the hip joint shape and integrity, which should reduce the future degeneration associated with labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement.
Surgery involves re-attaching the labrum and occasionally debriding (taking away the torn section) of the labrum and any thickening of the bones around the joint causing the femoroacetabular impingement. You will require post-operative hip physiotherapy after this procedure.