The labrum is a ring of cartilage along the edge of the acetabulum (hip socket), which creates a suction seal around the head (ball) of the femur. This adds to joint stability and function. It can be torn suddenly (acute injury) or slowly damaged over time (chronic).

Many patients with labral tears will have no symptoms at all. Studies have shown that labral tears can be found in 30-40% of young patients with pain-free hips, and the percentage increases with age.

When pain is present, it can vary from a deep ache to a sharp catching feeling. It will often worsen with activities involving bending the hip for long periods (such as sitting). There may also be sharp pain in the groin or front of the hip when squatting or bending down to put on pants, shoes and socks.

Other patients with labral overload pain or tears from dysplasia (shallow hip sockets) are more likely to experience deep pain on the outer side of their hip with prolonged standing or walking.

Your MTP Physiotherapist or Doctor will carry our a thorough examination of your history and symptoms along with a physical examination as a first step. They will assess the hip for stiffness, identify movements that reproduce your pain and carry out a functional evaluation of your strength, symmetry and power production.

If suspected a labral tear is best confirmed with an MRI scan of the hip. The MRI will also assess the hip’s other bony and soft tissue structures, looking for other causes of pain.

Determining the origin of pain around the hip joint can be quite complex. Most tears occur in the front (anterior) portion of the labrum, but pain can arise from inside the joint capsule (labrum, cartilage, bone), outside the joint capsule (tendons, bursitis) or referred pain from the back, knee or abdomen.

A local anaesthetic injection into the joint or other areas under imaging guidance may be used to help pinpoint the origin of the pain.

Specialised pelvis and hip x-rays views are another important part of your workup for a labral tear, as these may indicate underlying structural abnormalities which caused it.