Hip labrum
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An important area for the functioning of the hip joint is this, the hip labrum, despite being small, is one of the cartilages that is involved in various functions of movement and balance.
Interested in the health of patients, we have created this article with the intention of providing accurate information about hip labrum, the possible injuries you may suffer, and the support of an orthopedic doctor to treat it.
What is hip labrum?
The ring of cartilage that we find covering the acetabular bone of the hip is known as the labrum, this cartilage tissue is located throughout the extension of the acetabulum in the form of a circumference and its main task is to protect this bone at the time of movement.
Thanks to this tissue, bone pressure can be cushioned as it maintains the hydrostatics of the joint, it is also responsible for supporting stability, as well as distributing weight loads and dominating the extension limit of the joint due to its nerve endings.
When an injury occurs in the hip labrum, the patient may experience intense and limiting pain since the cartilage cannot prevent friction between the two bones.
Learn more about hip labral injuries below.
Hip labral rupture or tear
It is necessary to emphasize that this area of the hip has a great risk of trauma. A broken labrum is defined as when the tissue is detached from its natural area, i.e. from the edge of the acetabulum.
Hip labral fracture is classified according to the area of injury, this information is found in imaging exams and helps the orthopedic doctor define the best treatment.
Symptoms of Ruptured Hip Labral
Spontaneous pain in the groin, but it can also radiate to the buttocks, lower back, and even the knee.
Many patients with an injury like this come to the specialist’s office identifying knee pain, as well as other hip injuries that end up being mistaken for knee problems.
The curious thing about pain is that it appears after sitting for a long time, passing the injury as imperceptible, however, with the passage of time it limits the use of the joint, rotation, flexion and extension cease to be painless and the patient’s quality of life is reduced.
You can also feel the stiff joint with the sensation that it is stuck producing a slight cracking sound when mobilized.
You can trust Dr. Jose Felix Castillo to solve hip labral in Panama
Treatment for hip labral rupture
There are two treatment options that the doctor can recommend depending on the characteristics of each case, these are:
Non-invasive treatment:
When the injury is starting or you do not have a history of this same condition, the doctor will always try a non-invasive method for the recovery of health.
At this point, drugs that improve quality of life are recommended, and therapy sessions are scheduled that will help, with specific exercises, to promote the recovery of the labrum.
Medications are mostly made up of anti-inflammatories and painkillers, while exercises have to do with stretches that strengthen the muscles and offer a feeling of relaxation for the affected area.
Surgical treatment:
It is recommended as a final action to recover the function of the joint, when the other strategies do not give results, a hip arthroscopy is proposed, a minimally invasive surgical method that proposes to reinsert the labrum to its place to recover the health of the joint.
Hip arthroscopy allows a total investigation within the joint, therefore any other existing injury can be repaired and in this way offer the patient a broader solution to their discomfort in the area.
This process consists of a recovery of several weeks, like any surgery, and guarantees an effective recovery from the injury.
Diagnosing a hip labral injury
Much information for diagnosis is found in the physical examination and the patient’s medical history, especially if he has presented micro injuries that may suggest, with greater probability, damage to the labrum.
Once the injury is suspected and there is discomfort on the part of the patient who is looking for a solution, it is time to suggest imaging tests such as magnetic resonance imaging that offers a broad view of the situation in the joint.
Thanks to the examinations, the specific characteristics of the injury can be defined, confirm if it is a rupture or tear of the labrum and issue recommendations.
Causes of hip labral injuries
It can be said that this condition is caused as a result of multiple micro injuries that occur in the joint, for example, high-performance athletes who take the use of the hip to the maximum, in the long term, are more likely to suffer a labral tear.
There are those who claim that the hereditary burden is also related to the formation of the lesion, although so far there are no studies that support this conclusion.
