Treatment for Hip Labral (Acetabular) Tears at Encino Orthopedics

The labrum is a dense band of tissue and cartilage at the rim of the hip socket (also called the acetabulum). The function of the hip labrum is to cushion the socket so that the hipbones avoid direct friction with one another. A labrum tear can occur for a variety of reasons, including overuse and overstress injuries that result from continued athletic participation - through sports such as soccer, golf, hockey, and others. In other instances, a hip labral tear can occur as a result of an injury where direct impact is made to the hip, through a fall or car accident, for instance. More often than note, hip labral tears occur gradually, and sometimes are unaccompanied by detectable symptoms.

When symptoms do appear in cases of a labral tear, they typically include: sharp pain near the groin area that may extend to the backside or upper thigh; discomfort that worsens when rotating the hip; a "clicking" or "catching" sensation in the hip joint that occurs during movement.

Diagnosing and treating a labral hip tear is necessary to avoid further complications and functional loss in the hip. Dr. Reisch, founder and orthopedic surgeon at of Encino Orthopedics will conduct a thorough examination and may order an MRI or other imaging test to assess the labral area. Sometimes arthroscopic surgery is required to treat a serious acetabular tear in the hip, though oftentimes rest and physical therapy are common non-surgical courses of treatment which prove successful.