Labral Tear of the Hip Joint

Hip joint pain with no evidence of degenerative changes of the articular cartilage surfaces may result from impact of the femoral head against the margin of the acetabulum. This can be detected on imaging. A tear of the labrum, the cartilage ring at the edge of acetabulum may cause groin and anterior thigh pain and hip joint locking. This tear is a possibility in younger patients active in sport. MRI arthrogram may demonstrate the lesion as in the image below. Arthroscopic resection of the lesion can be done with only minimal incision into the joint. Recovery is much quicker than open surgery.