Hip labral tears are a common cause of hip pain in the aging and athletic population. The labrum is a small circular band of connective tissue that serves to add depth to the hip socket to provide more stability and to dissipate forces with compressive forces. This tissue can be injured with trauma during sports or other activities. The most common reason for injuries is morphological changes to the hip joint. These changes in structure, which usually cannot be prevented, can alter the forces on the labrum and cause it to degrade and tear over time. Other causes include capsular laxity and joint hypermobility. Over time, degenerative changes to the labrum can cause increased degeneration to the articular cartilage due to its inability to dissipate forces.

People with inter-articular pathologies of the hip typically present with the classic “C-sign” of pain that start in the lateral hip and wrap around to the groin. Although this is not specific to a labral tear only, it may be an important sign for a patient to seek medical attention to determine the cause. Symptoms of a labral tear generally present as anterior hip pain or groin pain, as well as a clicking, locking, or popping within the hip with movement.