Labral Tear Treatment

Understanding Hip Conditions and Available Treatments

Labral Tear Treatment Near You in Hoover and Birmingham, Serving Central Alabama

The hips play a key role in everyday movements, from sitting down to running and jumping. When their connective tissue becomes injured, every moment in the person’s life may be affected. Fortunately, hip pain is not inescapable. The multi-specialty team at Southlake Orthopaedics provides state-of-the-art medical care for hip conditions, including labral tears, at locations near you in Hoover and Birmingham-Grandview, AL. They handle every stage of treatment to help patients experience less pain, more living.

What Is a Labral Tear?

Labral tears are injuries to the labrum. The labrum is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the hip joint, deepening it. This ring helps hold the ball of the femur (thigh bone) in its socket on the pelvis, making sure the bones stay close together without touching. It also allows the bones to move smoothly without grinding against one another.

When the labrum is torn, it may prevent the hip from working correctly. The cartilage may become loose in the joint, causing it to catch painfully. It may also fail to hold the hip joint securely. The loosened joint becomes unstable, making it less able to support the person’s weight.

What Are the Symptoms of a Labral Tear?

Hip pain is the most recognizable symptom of a labral tear. The pain feels like it comes from deep in the body, similar to bone pain. It may feel like a constant dull ache, or it may cause sharp, stabbing sensations. It often gets worse when performing certain motions or lying in certain positions. It may also spread or radiate into the groin, lower back, buttocks, or thigh. The pain is often accompanied by other symptoms that affect mobility. These include:

Stiffness in the hip
Reduced range of motion in the hip
A clicking or popping sensation when moving the hip
Feeling unstable when standing or walking

While these signs are common indicators of a labral tear, not everybody experiences symptoms. Some patients don’t notice any pain or mobility changes for years. Their injury may only be discovered on imaging tests for other issues.

What Are the Causes and Risk Factors of a Labral Tear?

Labral tears occur when too much pressure is placed on the hip, stressing the labrum. Sports are a common culprit. While any athletic activity can cause a labral tear, this injury is most frequently associated with sports that require intense or repeated hip movements, such as hockey, football, soccer, dance, golf, or gymnastics.

Not all labral tears are sports injuries. Tears may also occur outside of athletic activity if the patient experiences a hard fall or is involved in a vehicle accident. Any movement or accident that puts extreme pressure on the hip can result in a labral tear.

While anybody can experience a labral tear, certain risk factors make it more likely. Many patients who develop tears engage in repetitive hip movements, often due to sports or their jobs. Hip arthritis can weaken the labrum, making it susceptible to tearing. Similarly, hip impingement creates stress on the hip over time, often resulting in a tear.

How Are Labral Tears Diagnosed?

To diagnose a labral tear, sports medicine specialists begin with a physical examination. The doctor assesses the patient’s pain, swelling, and range of movement. They may also review the patient’s medical history for factors that might have contributed to the injury, such as osteoarthritis, hip impingement, or a previous injury.

The physical examination is followed by medical imaging. An X-ray will detect abnormalities in the hip joint, which may have made the tear more likely. It can also be used to look for signs of a fracture. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, meanwhile, provides a better view of the labrum and other soft tissue to identify and locate the tear.

What Are the Treatment Options for Labral Tears?

Minor labral tears can sometimes be healed without surgery, especially if they do not impede the patient’s mobility. Conservative treatment methods include rest, activity adjustments, and physical therapy. Over-the-counter medications and injections may be used to relieve pain until the joint heals.

Serious injuries require surgery. Orthopedic surgeons perform a hip arthroscopy, which uses a specialized camera to work through smaller incisions. With the guidance of the arthroscope, they carefully remove pieces of torn labrum before stitching the tear back together. If the labrum is very badly damaged, then tissue may be taken from elsewhere in the body to reconstruct it. Surgery is typically followed by physical therapy to rebuild strength in the joint.

Meet Our Team

Southlake Orthopaedics takes pride in providing the highest level of care for our patients. Our multi-specialty team includes sports medicine specialists, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and more, who work together to support patients at every stage of their recovery. Meet our hip team below:

Michael Blum F., M.D.

George Robert Booker, M.D.

Michael T. Ellerbusch, M.D.

Richard L. “Beau” Grantier, M.D

Jonathan Isbell, M.D.

Dewey H. Jones, M.D.

Find Treatment for Labral Tears Near You in Alabama

A labral tear does not have to get in the way of the activities you love. Experience less pain, more living with state-of-the-art medical care at Southlake Orthopaedics. We are a multi-specialty team that addresses every stage of recovery, including diagnosis, surgery, and rehabilitation, for injuries like labral tears. Contact us to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment. We have locations near you in Hoover and Birmingham-Grandview, AL.

Labral Tear Treatment

Understanding Hip Conditions and Available Treatments