When the labrum is injured, the cartilage that surrounds the outside rim of your hip joint socket is torn or damaged, it is called a labral tear. A hip labral repair mainly involves trimming or reattaching the torn cartilage using an arthroscope, similar to hip arthroscopy.

Common types of labral tears that may be repaired include:

• Abnormal socket (pincer lesion): The abnormal bone growth is removed to prevent further impingement and to protect the hip from further damage.
• Articular cartilage damage: Some unstable cartilage flaps can be debrided and stabilized, but usually repairing is not possible.
• Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) bump/ A CAM lesion: It is the formation of extra bone on the head of the femur (ball). This results in a ‘bump’, and such extra bone can cause damage to the labrum and pain as it impinges on the acetabulum (socket) with joint movement. The abnormal bone is removed and reshaped to avoid impingement and to protect the hip from damage to improve range of motion.
• Labral tears: Tears in cartilage can be repaired and stabilized by using specialized anchors to reattach the torn labrum.
• Ligamentum teres tears: These are also trimmed, tightened, and reconstructed.
• Hip hypermobility/ Dysplasia/ Degeneration: These conditions are repaired to protect the hip from further damage.

There are multiple reasons for a labral tear and a few of the common causes are listed below.

• Repetitive movements
• Traumatic injury
• Weight-bearing activities
• Degenerative changes in the elderly
• Structural problems of the hip
• Participating in sports (football, soccer, basketball, snow skiing, ballet)

The main symptom of pain in Labral tear is pain. In some patients, pain can radiate to the side of the hip, buttock region, and inner thigh. Labral tears most often occur in association with other bone complications. However, not all labral tears cause pain. You may not have symptoms, or some of the patients may experience the following symptoms.

• Pain in the hip or groin area
• Catching or locking sensation in the hip joint
• Hip movements are significantly restricted

Your physician will conduct all the routine blood tests to rule out infection. You will be asked to take certain tests to determine the cause of your hip pain. Aspiration of the hip joint is rarely done to diagnose or rule out infection. Your surgeon will assess your labral tear based on the following diagnostic results.

• Symptoms of labral tear
• Medical history
• Physical examination
• Radiological techniques: X-rays and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may also be ordered to evaluate the labrum.
• The injection of a local anesthetic into the hip joint space is occasionally performed to confirm the location of the pain. When an anesthetic relieves your pain, the cause of the problem is probably located inside the hip joint

The surgical procedure to repair labral tears is complex as it involves the repair of the damaged soft tissue of the labrum as well as addressing the underlying impingement. It may involve the removal of bone from the head/neck of the femur or other corrections to prevent damage. Hip arthroscopy also referred to as keyhole surgery or minimally invasive surgical procedure used to assess and repair damage to the hip. The surgery is performed under general, spinal, or local anesthesia.

The arthroscope is a small rigid telescope with a digital camera on the end. As an initial step, the leg is strapped into a traction table to pull the hip joint open. It is gently inserted into the space between the ball (femoral head) and socket (acetabulum) of the joint. Other small probes and specialized instruments can be inserted into the hip joint to allow a wide variety of different surgical procedures to be performed. Your surgeon will usually make about two to four small cuts around the joint and place a small telescope to examine the hip joint. On the other hand, surgical instruments will be placed through the other cuts when the problems with the joint need treatment. Usually, the duration of the procedure depends on the severity of the labral tear. Some patients need one night in the hospital, otherwise, you can leave the hospital on the same day of surgery. The incision wounds take 7-10 days to heal.

Labral repairs heal reliably, following the surgery, you will be given specific instructions on caring for incisions. You may be restrained to perform some activities. Some exercises have to be performed for a fast recovery and a successful outcome. Physical therapy will be recommended to restore your strength and mobility. Few pain medications will be given to keep you comfortable. when you have a minor labral tear, your recovery may take a few weeks (mostly 6 weeks) with the help of non-surgical treatments such as medications and physical therapy.

Every surgery has some risks and complications. Hip arthroplasty is a minimally invasive procedure and is generally a safe technique. Rarely few complications specific to labral tears are listed below.

• Infection
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Blood vessel damage
• Nerve damage
• Hemarthrosis
• Failure to relieve pain

In concurrence with the rectification of osseous abnormalities such as labral surgery, one can improve short-term outcomes and reduce the risk of long-term osteoarthritis.

On the other hand, the main benefit of hip arthroscopy surgery is its ability to locate the site of damage and its precision to point to the problematic cause. In many cases, it can be used to treat the problem while diagnosing it. Since it is a nominally invasive procedure than traditional hip surgery, it involves nominal scarring and a quicker recovery.