Hip Labral Repair – South Bend Orthopaedics

What is Labrum?

Labrum is a ring of strong fibrocartilaginous tissue lining around the socket of the hip joint. Labrum serves many functions where it acts as a shock absorber, lubricates the joint, and distributes the pressure equally. It holds the head of the femur in place and prevents the lateral and vertical movement of the femur head within the joint. It also deepens the acetabular cavity and offers stability against femoral head translation.

Causes of Labral Tear

Labral tear may be caused by trauma, femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip hypermobility, dysplasia, and degeneration. It is one of the rare conditions and is common in athletes playing sports such as ice hockey, soccer, golf, and ballet. Structural abnormalities may also cause a hip labral tear. Patients may have hip pain, clicking, and locking of the joint and restricted range of motion. Patients may also experience dull pain on movement of the hip joint that may not subside on rest. A hip labral tear is often diagnosed with symptoms, history, physical examination, and radiological techniques. Magnetic resonance arthroscopy may be more appropriate for diagnosing hip labral tear.

Treatment

Your doctor may start with conservative treatment prescribing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and advising you to rest. These methods may offer symptomatic relief while surgery is required to repair the torn labrum. Your doctor may perform arthroscopic surgery using a fiber-optic camera and surgical instruments through the smaller incisions. Depending on the severity of the tear, the damaged or torn labrum may be removed or may be sutured.