A hip labral tear is an injury to the ring of cartilage that follows the outside rim of the socket of your hip joint. In addition to cushioning the hip joint, the labrum acts like a rubber seal to help hold the ball of your thighbone secure within your hip socket. While this injury can happen as a result of constant wear and tear over time, it can also come as a result of an injury at work or even from a car crash. A hip labral tear can be treated non-surgically through physical therapy or with surgery in more severe cases.
Symptoms of a Hip Labral Tear
The symptoms of a hip labral tear normally include:
- Hip pain or stiffness
- Pain in the groin or buttocks area
- A clicking or locking sound in the hip
- Feeling unsteady on your feet
Further, pain or discomfort may get worse when you bend, move or rotate the hip or when you exercise and play sports. It is also common to have a labral tear and have none of these symptoms at all. If you suffered a hip labral tear in a collision, the symptoms may intensify weeks and months after the impact.
Treatment
If you are lucky enough to not have surgery with your hip labral tear, then physical therapy will come next. A physical therapist will help you strengthen your hip muscles, improve your posture and restore your neuromuscular controls. These treatments may include stretching, range of motion exercises and gentle hip movements to relieve pain.
In the event you need surgery, a surgeon will reattach the labrum to the socket using an “anchor”. With surgery the recovery time differs depending on your doctor’s recommendations. Crutches will have to be used for 4-6 weeks, followed by physical therapy. Typically, people can return to moderate activity, such as jogging, after 3 months. For high hip intensity activities, such as football or basketball, a 5-6 month timeframe will be more appropriate.
If you or a family member has suffered a hip labral tear has been injured due to another person’s negligence, whether in a motor vehicle collision, slip-and-fall, or other premises liability event, you are entitled to fair compensation for your injury, including damages for lost wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, permanent injury, and, if you had surgery, permanent scarring.
Maginnis Law handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis – meaning that you pay no attorneys’ fees unless and until we make a financial recovery for you. To schedule a free consultation with lead personal injury attorney T. Shawn Howard, call the firm at 919.526.0450 or reach out to Shawn directly at 919.480.8526.
