Labral tears
Understanding this condition
The labrum is a fibrocartilaginous ring that surrounds the rim of the hip socket. It serves three roles: it seals the joint (like a gasket), absorbs shock, and contributes to stability.
A labral tear is a split or detachment of this ring. It most often occurs in the context of femoro-acetabular impingement, but also after a sports trauma or in cases of hip dysplasia.
Symptoms
The pain is in the groin, mechanical in nature, sometimes associated with sensations of clicking, snapping, or locking in certain positions. Patients often describe a "click" with specific movements.
The discomfort is typical when sitting for long periods, driving, or during pivoting or forced flexion activities. A sensation of instability may accompany the pain.
How can it progress?
An untreated labral tear alters the mechanical function of the hip. Loss of the sealing gasket promotes injury to the adjacent cartilage, and the damaged labrum may fray further with each movement.
In the medium term, the risk is early-onset hip osteoarthritis.
Treatment options
First line: activity modification, physiotherapy to strengthen the stabilising muscles, anti-inflammatory drugs during flare-ups. This often reduces symptoms without intervention.
If the tear is disabling and an associated bony impingement is demonstrated, hip arthroscopy allows the labrum to be repaired (sutured) while correcting the underlying mechanical cause. A specialist consultation and targeted imaging determine the indication.