Hip Disorders
Labral Tear
The labral tear is a commonly encountered condition seen in the patients of our clinic. The labrum is analogous to the meniscus of the knee. It surrounds the edge of the acetabulum and acts as a fluid seal to support lubrication of the joint and viability of the white cartilage of the hip joint.
A Torn Labrum
The labral tear above is seen as a red fissure formed at the central edge of the acetabular lining (labrum).
The labrum can be torn in an acute injury or, more commonly, due to repetitive trauma from impingement or joint laxity in dysplasia. Once damaged, a labral tear may present itself with groin discomfort, clicking or popping, sudden locking, instability, or giving way during walking. The good news is that many labral tears are asymptomatic and do not require surgical treatment.
There have been dramatic advances in the philosophy and technical capabilities of arthroscopic hip surgery in the past decade. Repair of the tear has replaced resection, whenever possible. It can be done in combination with removal of cam and pincer bony abnormalities and in conjunction with periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). When badly damaged, the entire labrum can be reconstructed from other tissue to restore its important functions.
The following video describes a case study for a labral tear repaired arthroscopically.