
Medication
Meaning that if you have been diagnosed with a hip labral tear, there may be other factors that are truly causing the pain other than the labrum. When the labrum is truly the source, there is good news. Recovery is attainable without surgery!
Procedures
Whether you are treated surgically or nonsurgically, recovery from a torn hip labrum can take up to six weeks. Depending on the extent of the injury, competitive athletes may return to their sport sometime between 2 and 6 months. Read about conditions and issues related to labral tears of the hip.
Therapy
- 0-4 Weeks Post Surgery: Begin mobility and exercises and stretching. ...
- 4-8 Weeks Post Surgery: By this time, you should be more comfortable moving your hip joint. ...
- 8-12 Weeks Post Surgery: The focus during this time is building strength and increasing endurance. ...
- 12-16 Weeks Post-Surgery: You can (literally) jump for joy at this point. ...
Nutrition
What does a hip labral tear feel like? Hip labral tear symptoms can include: Deep groin pain or pain in the buttocks on the side of the injured hip. A feeling or sound of clicking or locking when your hip is in motion. Hip pain, especially while it rotates in certain directions. Stiffness while moving your hip. Diagnosis
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Can I recover from a hip labral tear without surgery?
How long does a hip labral tear take to heal?
What is the recovery time for hip labrum surgery?
What does a labral tear in the hip feel like?

Can a torn labrum in the hip heal itself?
A hip labral tear won't heal on its own, but rest and other measures can help manage symptoms of a minor tear. Nonsurgical treatments include: Anti-inflammatory medications: Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®) can reduce inflammation.
How long does it take to recover from a torn hip labrum?
How Long Does Hip Labral Tear Recovery Take? After a hip labral tear surgery, most patients spend four months in one-on-one physical therapy sessions and can then ease back into their everyday activities subsequently. However, it can take them up to nine months to get back to their hundred percent.
How do they fix a labral tear in the hip?
Labrum repair and labrum reconstruction may be performed through arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive surgery performed through a few small incisions. The hip labrum is reconstructed either with tissue from a cadaver (allograft) or with tissue from the patient's own body (autograft).
Do you need surgery for a torn hip labrum?
If a hip labral tear causes significant hip pain and symptoms do not improve with medical treatment or therapeutic injections, NYU Langone doctors may recommend surgery to repair or reconstruct the labrum and fix any underlying structural abnormality that may have caused the labral tear.
What happens if a labral tear goes untreated?
If a labral tear is left untreated, it will lead to ongoing and worsening pain. A normal labrum is important to the normal function of the hip joint. A torn labrum leads to cartilage damage and eventual arthritis of the hip joint.
Is a torn hip labrum serious?
Torn hip labrum may cause pain, reduced range of motion in the hip and a sensation of the hip locking up. Labral tears are typically caused by overuse, traumatic injuries or abnormalities in the shape or alignment of the hip bones. Hip labral tears can be treated with or without surgery.
Is labral tear surgery worth it?
Doctors recommend labral tear surgery to patients who they think are good candidates—these patient are not at high risk for surgical complications and are likely to have good postsurgical results. For other patients, a hip replacement or other hip surgery may be considered.
Is hip labrum surgery painful?
Generally, you'll experience some hip discomfort during recovery. This discomfort may also be experienced in your buttock, lower back, ankle and knee. We can use appropriate pain medication to reduce the discomfort.
Will a cortisone shot help a torn hip labrum?
Cortisone will NOT repair a torn labrum. Some patients receive several months of relief, but others do not receive more than a few days of relief. It is not advisable to resume high impact activities if the cortisone injection decreases pain from the hip because of concerns of further damage to the torn labrum.
Can you live with a torn hip labrum?
Many patients inquire about hip labral tear recovery without surgery. Simply put, a hip labral tear will not heal without surgical treatment. However, many less severe hip labral tears can be managed for years, sometimes even indefinitely, with nonsurgical treatment.
What aggravates hip labral tear?
Walking, pivoting, prolonged sitting, and impact activities, such as running, often aggravate symptoms.
How successful is hip labrum surgery?
The success rate for labral tear hip surgery is high in most cases, however, depending on a variety of factors and the cause of the labral injury, a repeat procedure may be necessary after the primary surgery. One study found that 17% of patients required a second surgery.
What is the procedure to repair a frayed hip labrum?
Debridement. This technique involves trimming or smoothing the area of the labrum that is frayed. The goal is to remove loose, damaged and pain-generating tissue. Other repairs. Hip problems are often intertwined, so it is common for a surgeon to repair the hip labrum and address other problems during the same surgery.
What is labral tear?
advertisement. Labral tears with hip impingement. Depending on their level of pain and disability, even patients who have relatively small tears may be encouraged to consider surgery if they also have a condition known as femoroacetabular impingement, also known as FAI or hip impingement.
What is hip impingement?
Hip impingement occurs when bony growths lead to abnormal contact between the hip’s bones. Research suggests that nonsurgical treatments have limited success for patients who have both a labral tear and hip impingement. 1. The hip labrum is made of tough fibrocartilage with a limited blood supply.
What is the goal of hip surgery?
The goal of surgery is to improve hip stability, function, and range-of-motion; decrease hip pain; and prevent additional damage to the hip joint. See Coping with Hip Labral Tears.
How long is a hip arthroscopy?
Special surgical tools and a video camera are inserted through 2 to 4 incisions that are approximately 1 cm long. Open hip surgery requires a single incision 8 cm to 10 cm long. During open surgery, the surgeon may dislocate the femoral head from the hip socket.
Can labral tear repair be done during surgery?
Save. Depending on the damage to the hip labrum, a surgeon may perform a labral tear repair and a debridement. The decision to do other repairs may be made during surgery. Pre-operative medical imaging cannot always reveal everything that is wrong in a joint.
Can labrums heal on their own?
Why labrums typically do not heal on their own. The hip labrum is made of tough fibrocartilage with a limited blood supply. Once it is torn from the bone, it is nearly impossible for it to re-attach itself and heal back to the bone without surgical intervention. See Considering Surgery for Hip Pain.
What is a labral tear in the hip?
A hip labral tear is an injury to the labrum, the soft tissue that covers the acetabulum (socket) of the hip. A hip labral tear can be caused by injury, structural problems, or degenerative issues. Symptoms include pain in the hip or stiffness. A hip labral tear can be treated nonsurgically, or with surgery in severe cases.
How to tell if you have a labral tear?
The symptoms of a hip labral tear include: Hip pain or stiffness. Pain in the groin or buttocks area. A clicking or locking sound in the hip area when you move. Feeling unsteady on your feet. If you have a hip labral tear, hip pain or discomfort may get worse when you bend, move or rotate the hip, or exercise or play sports.
What is the ball and socket of the hip called?
The hip is shaped like a ball-and-socket. The socket is called the acetabulum, and the ball is the femoral head, located at the top of the femur (leg bone). A hip labral tear is an injury to the labrum, the soft tissue that covers the acetabulum. The labrum helps the femoral head move smoothly within the socket.
What tests can be done to diagnose a labral tear?
Imaging tests can also help doctors diagnose a hip labral tear. The doctor may order the following imaging tests: X-rays: X-rays can alert doctors to problems with the hip bones, such as femoroacetabular impingement, or osteoarthritis, that may contribute to a labral tear and a painful hip.
What is debridement in labral surgery?
Debridement (removing a small piece of labral tissue ) If FAI is also present, it will be addressed (removed) at the same time to help prevent the labrum from tearing again. The arthroscopic surgery is often done on an outpatient basis, meaning the patient goes home the same day.
How long does it take to recover from hip arthroscopy?
Surgery: In many cases, hip arthroscopy can relieve pain from a labral tear and return hip function. Many people recover fully from surgery within 4 to 6 months, and can often return to previous athletic pursuits and physical activity.
What is the labrum?
The labrum helps the femoral head move smoothly within the socket. It lets your hip move without problems or pain. It also serves as a seal, keeping the ball and socket together but not touching. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission.
How to repair a labrum tear?
Surgery repairs the labrum as well as any cartilage that has been damaged. Using a small camera, known as an arthroscope, the surgeon is able to access the hip joint and view the labrum in detail. Once the tear has been identified, loose pieces of cartilage can be trimmed away as well as any bone spurs that may have formed.
Why is it important to repair a labrum?
For many patients, surgical repair of the torn labrum is necessary to alleviate pain and increase mobility in the hip. The good news is that there are new surgical options that decrease operative and recovery time. Here’s everything you need to know:
What is the labrum of the hip?
The hip is a ball and socket joint composed of the head of the femur and acetabulum. In order to prevent instability and bone-on-bone contact, the soft tissue labrum surrounds the outside edge of the acetabulum. A labral tear can result in pain, instability, stiffness, and decreased function.
How long does it take to heal a hip tear?
The recovery time depends on the severity of the tear, but generally takes only a few weeks. High Mountain Orthopedics specializes in bone, ...
What causes a hip to rub together?
Hip impingement syndrome. Arthritis. Tears in the labrum should be treated appropriately in order to prevent arthritis. If the damage to the labrum progresses, it can cause the bones of the hip joint to begin to rub together. This rubbing can cause bone spurs and arthritis in the hip, which may severely damage the hip joint and result in ...
Why does my hip have a labral tear?
A hip labral tear can be caused in a variety of ways, including sudden or erratic movement, repetitive stress or direct trauma to the joint. A common cause of a hip labral tear is over-use. In other cases, injury can result from unchecked structural abnormalities of the bone, which simply worsen over time. The good news is that there are now proven ...
How to tell if you have a labral tear?
Symptoms of a hip labral tear are easy to detect. Commonly, pain originates deep in the groin, accompanied by soreness in the hips, hamstrings, abdominals or lower back. Often, patients feel discomfort, even during simple, stress-free activities such as walking, twisting or sitting in a car or at a desk.
What is the acetabular labrum?
The Acetabular Labrum, commonly known as the “Hip Labrum”, is a fibrous ring of cartilage that encircles the hip socket. Its primary job is to hold the thighbone in place, providing stability for the entire lower body.
What is the function of the labrum?
When functioning properly, the labrum manages fluid within the joint, acting like a rubber seal, allowing ease of movement. The hip is a complex joint that allows the leg to move in multiple planes and directions. As a result, many factors can lead to malfunction or pain, the most common being a hip labral tear.
How to help hip pain?
Exercises and stretches to alleviate hip pain. With the approval of your doctor, give these a go and see how they feel. 1. Standing Hip Abduction (with a resistance band) Standing Hip Abductions target the muscles of the outer hip, which are responsible for maintaining proper leg alignment.
How to improve balance on a single leg?
Standing on a single leg increases core stability, strength and balance. Using caution, begin by standing on a pillow or yoga mat, holding your arms directly out to the side. As you gain confidence and improve coordination, try balancing on a stability disc or a BOSU ball.
How to get rid of a swollen ankle?
Begin by looping a resistance band around the outside of each ankle. Stand up straight and holding the upper body steady, lift one leg up and as far to the side as possible. Pause and return to the original position. If needed, support yourself with a sturdy object such as a chair or a dowel.
What is hip labral tear?
Orthopedic surgeons have become better at understanding sources of pain, and technology has increased our ability to diagnose conditions that previously went undetected. One source of hip and groin pain that is being diagnosed much more commonly is called a hip labral tear .
Why is the hip labrum flexible?
1 . The hip labrum, like other types of cartilage, tends to have problems healing from injury.
What is hip surgery?
Arthroscopic hip surgery is an outpatient surgical procedure that is often performed under general anesthesia. Your surgeon places a small television camera with an attached light source into the hip joint, and through a separate small incision can place instruments to address hip labral tears.
When was the first hip labral surgery performed?
The first arthroscopic hip surgeries took place in the 1980s and it has become a routinely performed surgical procedure today. Between 1999 and 2009, arthroscopic surgery of the hip joint increased 18-fold, ...
Is hip surgery a non surgical procedure?
That said, many patients can find equally effective treatment with nonsurgical treatment. In almost all scenarios, nonsurgical treatment should be attempted before considering arthroscopic surgery.
Where is the hip joint?
The hip joint is a ball and socket joint at the junction of the top of the thigh bone and the pelvis. Unlike other ball and socket joints such as the shoulder, the hip has a very deep and stable socket. The labrum is a cuff of cartilage that makes a ring around the edge of the hip socket. This helps to deepen the socket, ...
Can a labral tear be arthroscopic?
Most importantly, labral tears are often seen in the setting of other damage to the hip joint including arthritis and bone spurs. A labral tear in the setting of arthritis of the hip is nothing like a labral tear as an isolated injury. 3 . When surgery is considered for a hip labral tear, the most common way to address this is through arthroscopic ...
Hip Labral Tear Symptoms
When the hip's labrum tears, it's called a hip labral tear. Here are some symptoms of a torn hip labrum:
Who Tends to Suffer from Torn Hip Labrum Injuries
Certain athletes are at a higher risk of hip labral tear, like soccer, football, hockey and golf players, as well as ballerinas. They might have an injury from a hard hit with another player, or it could be due to repetitive motion.
When Should You Get Surgery for a Labral Tear?
Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine patients will be evaluated for conservative treatment options and then a mutual decision will be made on whether surgery is needed. If a patient has a symptomatic hip labral tear, they may notice improvement with nonsurgical treatment.
Request an Appointment - 617-726-0500
Request an appointment with a Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine specialist. The call center is available 7 days a week, 8 am - 8 pm. Our dedicated team is committed to providing expert care for your sports injury. Please use the form below or call 617-726-0500 to determine the care that is best for you.
