A hip labral tear can happen suddenly in an accident or from a direct hit while playing contact sports. Hip labral tears usually occur gradually over time, however. Labral tear hip treatment ranges from lifestyle modifications to surgical intervention, but the trend is toward more conservative, less invasive remedies. Make your appointment today. Come to our NYC sports pain management clinic to get your pain evaluation and treatment. Meet our pain doctor Febin Melepura M.D. to get the pain relief you need in the safe, reassuring hands of the best sports injury specialists in New York.
A hip labral tear occurs when the rim of cartilage around the hip joint, called the labrum, is torn. The labrum is a tough structure, so when it tears, the hip injury is usually severe or occurs over a long period of time. The labrum runs along the outer rim of the hip socket where the thigh bone fits in. Like all structure of the hip joint, it plays an important role.
The labrum not only provides nutrition to the hip joint, but also has other functions. Some of the important functions that your hip labrum performs include:
- Cushioning the hip socket
- Preventing the bones of the joint from rubbing against each other
- Sealing the joint to hold in the head of the femur
- Deepening the socket to provide more stability
When a tear does happen, your Midtown Manhattan sports medicine doctor has a number of tools and techniques aimed at providing the best labral hip tear treatment. If you have hip pain, see you pain management doctor before you do any more damage to your hip joint.
Twisting Your Way to a Tear
Trauma and long-term repetitive motion are the main causes of a hip labral tear. Occasionally, structural abnormalities of the hip like hip dysplasia are a factor. Normal wear and tear can also make the joint and the labrum weak, making it more prone to a tear.
Up to 75 percent of hip labral tears have no direct cause; they just happen over time. It’s more common in women and 25-to-40-year-old adults who lead an active lifestyle. Athletes who play ice hockey, soccer, football, golf or baseball — or those who practice ballet — are also more prone to a hip labral tear.
The repetitive, twisting or pivoting motion of these sports takes a toll on your hip joint. Otherwise, a severe blow to your hip, as in a fall or car accident, can also cause a labral tear. In these cases, and in a large percentage of hip labral tears, the injury doesn’t occur in isolation. So you likely have other injuries as well.
Symptoms Can Go Unnoticed
Because your hip is usually such a stable joint and most tears occur gradually, you may notice few if any symptoms. But around 20 percent of athletes with groin pain have suffered a hip labral tear. Some symptoms to look out for include:
- Pain in your hip or groin
- Stiffness or limited range of motion in your hip joint
- Instability of your hip or leg
- A locking, clicking or catching of your hip joint
If you suffer these symptoms, they may worsen over time or during prolonged walking, standing, or sitting. A hip labral tear has been indirectly linked to osteoarthritis. Left untreated, a hip labral tear may lead to permanent damage and disability.
Coming to a Diagnosis
Because the labrum’s difficult to visualize and impossible to move from the outside like other muscles, your doctor’s diagnosis relies on invasive procedures. But he’ll still talk to you about your specific medical history concerning any recent trauma you may have had.
A probable diagnosis can be reached by injecting an anesthetic into your hip joint. If there’s pain relief, then the problem’s in the joint. Imaging is the gold standard for diagnosing a hip labral tear and may include an x-rays, MRI or arthroscopic exam.
Goals Are Important
Hip labral tear treatment varies with the severity of the symptoms, characteristics of the tear, your age, and the health of your hip joint. But the labral tear treatment goals remain very similar: pain relief and improvement of hip joint function. Labral tear treatment should be performed by your NYC sports medicine physician, who specializes in labral tears and pain relief.
Labral tear hip treatment ranges from lifestyle modifications to surgical intervention, but the trend is toward more conservative, less invasive remedies. Prevention of a hip labral tear is in your hands. Conditioning the muscles around the joint, avoiding repetitive and stressful movements and maintaining a good posture help prevent a hip labral tear and subsequent need for labral tear treatment.
Prevent the Worst Case: See a Professional
Surgical hip labral tear treatment is required in some cases. It’s called arthroscopic surgery. You may be eligible for one of two procedures, depending on your injury:
- Refixation is when the labrum is surgically repaired with sutures. Each layer is sutured individually and placed back in the correct position.
- Debridement is the removal of a small part of the labrum. This prevents small bits of it from getting caught in the joint and causing pain.
No matter what type of treatment you need for a hip labral tear, the Sports and Pain Institute of NY helps you get back in your game as quickly and as painlessly as possible.
Do you have any questions about the labral tear treatment we offer in NYC? Would you like to schedule an appointment with the best rated hip pain management doctor Febin Melepura MD of sports pain management clinic in New York? Please contact our office for consultation with the pain relief specialist in Midtown Manhattan.