Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI)
The most common cause. Repeated friction between the femur and the rim of the hip socket gradually damages and tears the labrum at the point of contact.
Hip dysplasia
A shallow hip socket forces the labrum to take on more of the load than it's designed for, since it isn't holding the joint in place properly. Over time, this extra strain causes the labrum to tear.
Repetitive loading
In certain sports, things like rowing, cycling, martial arts, and dance, repeated movement in positions that stress the hip can damage the labrum, even without an underlying structural problem.
Deep groin pain
The most common symptom. Felt deep inside the joint rather than on the surface, and typically worse when bending, rotating, or putting weight on the hip.
The C-sign
Patients often point to where it hurts by cupping the front and side of the hip in a C-shape with their hand, a gesture distinctive enough to help with diagnosis.
Pain sitting
Sitting for long periods, like desk work, keeps the hip bent, which commonly makes labral tears worse.
Clicking or catching within the joint
Often described as the hip briefly "getting stuck" before releasing.
Instability
A sense of the hip giving way is most often seen in patients whose labral tear is linked to hip dysplasia. Here, the labrum's normal stabilising role is already reduced, making the joint feel less secure.
Clinical examination
A specific movement test called the FADIR test (Flexion, Adduction, Internal Rotation) moves the hip into a position that reproduces deep groin pain in most patients with a labral tear, helping confirm the diagnosis.
X-ray with angle measurements
Although this won’t diagnose a labral tear, it can be used to identify what's causing the tear in the first place (typically either FAI or hip dysplasia).
MRI arthrogram
The most reliable way to image a labral tear is to inject a contrast dye into the hip joint before doing an MRI. This shows the labrum far more clearly than a standard MRI without contrast. Importantly, if you've had a standard MRI that came back "normal," a labral tear may still be present and simply wasn't picked up.
Physiotherapy
Targeted exercises to strengthen the muscles that stabilise the hip and improve muscle control can meaningfully ease symptoms, especially for smaller tears with only mild underlying changes to the joint. This won't heal the tear itself, but it reduces the strain placed on it.
Injection treatment
A corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injection into the hip joint can provide real symptom relief, and also helps confirm that the hip joint is the actual source of your pain.
The preferred surgical option when the cartilage is still in good condition and the underlying cause of the tear can be corrected through keyhole surgery. During the procedure, the labrum is reattached to the bone using small anchors. At the same time, if necessary, the surgeon can correct the underlying bone shape causing the impingement. Fixing the labrum without correcting an underlying cause increases the risk of the tear coming back, which is why this combined approach is one of the most important decisions in hip arthroscopy.
If labral damage and cartilage loss have progressed to significant hip osteoarthritis, hip replacement becomes the appropriate treatment. Our assessment will tell you exactly where you sit on this spectrum.
A hip labral tear is a diagnosis, not a treatment plan. What matters most is understanding what caused the tear, and whether that cause can still be corrected, or whether the joint has already progressed to the point where replacement is needed.
To get a clear answer, your assessment should include:
