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Acetabular Labrum Tear
The acetabular labrum is a ring of fibrocartilage (fibrous cartilage) that encircles the acetabulum (cup) of the hip joint and increases its depth. The head of the femur (the bone in the thigh) fits in the acetabulum. The labrum deepens this cavity and effectively increases the surface (and strength) of the hip joint.
What are the Causes of Acetabular Labrum tears?
Injuries to the acetabular labrum can occur from chronic trauma due to repetitive hip motion or from acute trauma as, for example, from a direct blow to the hip or a violent motion of the hip. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) also has been associated with the development of hip labrum tears and with articular cartilage injury.
Diagnosis of Acetabular Labrum Tears
Signs and symptoms of an acetabular labrum injury (labral tear) include pain accompanying hip motion, occasional pain in the hip at night or during daily activities, decreased range of motion and loss of strength in the hip.
Treatment of Hip Labral Tears
In the above video, Dr. Carreira speaks with the local Miami news about hip arthroscopy treatments.
Repair of an acetabular labrum tear (labral tear) also has been termed refixation or reattachment. Debridement refers to the “cleaning up” or removal of torn tissue, with the goal of leaving a stable rim of healthy tissue. The labrum can be damaged in many different ways, including by degeneration, instability, radial tears, longitudinal tears, detachment from the rim, and a combination of these. The indications for repair versus debridement of these different types of tears are not entirely clear. However, there is increasing evidence to support improved success with repair versus debridement.
There are a number of studies demonstrated high success rates looking at groups of patients with repairs only, but there are few studies comparing these two methods of treatment directly. “Arthroscopic debridement versus refixation of the acetabular labrum associated with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)” by Larson and Giveans in 2009, and “Treatment of femoroacetabular impingement: Preliminary results of labral refixation” by Espinosa et al in 2006 both demonstrated improved outcomes with the repair group compared to the debridement group.
Hip Labrum Tear Video
This videos are also available on Dr. Carreira’s YouTube channel.
