The acetabular labrum is a ring of cartilage around the hip socket that deepens the joint and helps seal it. A labral tear is a break or fraying of this tissue, most commonly at the front of the hip. It can cause pain, mechanical symptoms, and reduced function — but many labral tears are also found incidentally on imaging without symptoms.
Common causes
- Sport-related trauma — sudden pivoting, twisting, hyperextension
- Repetitive impingement (FAI — femoroacetabular impingement)
- Anatomical variants that alter joint mechanics
- Age-related degeneration
- Sometimes no clear cause
Symptoms
- Deep groin pain (most common)
- Sometimes referring to the buttock or thigh
- Catching, clicking, or locking sensation
- Painful hip flexion, especially deep hip flexion (squatting, deep hip flexion in sport)
- Reduced hip range of motion
- Pain with prolonged sitting
The critical caveat about imaging
MRI often finds labral tears in pain-free individuals — studies estimate up to 70% of asymptomatic adults have some labral findings. Having a tear on imaging doesn't automatically make it the pain source. Careful clinical correlation is essential.
Conservative treatment (works for many)
Activity modification — reducing loads and positions that provoke symptoms.
Movement retraining — squatting mechanics, running gait, and sport-specific movement patterns.
Hip and core strengthening — restoring the muscular support that reduces load through the labrum.
Manual therapy — joint mobilization and soft tissue work for the surrounding structures.
Address impingement risk factors — if underlying FAI is contributing, we work around the mechanics.
When surgery gets discussed
Younger athletic patients with clear structural labral tears and disabling symptoms unresponsive to 3-6 months of good conservative care may benefit from arthroscopic labral repair. Older patients or those with significant joint degeneration typically do better with conservative care indefinitely.
If you've been told you have a labral tear, don't assume surgery is inevitable. Come in for an assessment — many patients do very well with structured non-operative care.