Labral tears are very common and are usually caused by stresses placed on the labrum by abnormal bone morphology. A labral tear should not be the primary diagnosis — it is usually expected in all painful hips. Labral tears can heal with repair if the causative factors are treated.
Key Principle
A labral tear should not be the primary diagnosis — it is usually expected in all painful hips. Treating the causative morphology is essential.
Classification
Chondrolabral Separation
From cam impingement, acute subluxation, or dislocation.
Intrasubstance Tears
From pincer impingement.
Dysplastic Labral Tears
Dysplastic hips tear a hypertrophied labrum that can avulse adjacent acetabular articular cartilage, or have a bone fragment attached to the torn labrum (rim fracture), or a combination producing an inside-out tear.
Flap tears and radial tears are additional descriptive subtypes.
