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Hip Labral Tear

A hip labral tear damages the cartilage surrounding the hip joint, causing pain, stiffness, catching sensations, and reduced mobility during everyday activities and sport.

Understanding Hip Labral Tears

A hip labral tear occurs when the labrum — the ring of cartilage that cushions and stabilises the hip joint — becomes damaged. The labrum helps your hip move smoothly and comfortably, so when it’s injured it can lead to pain, stiffness, and restricted movement activity.

Causes

  • Trauma – Sports injuries, car accidents, or falls.
  • Structural Abnormalities – Congenital hip conditions or bone misalignment.
  • Repetitive Movements – Overuse, twisting, or pivoting motions.

Symptoms

  • Groin or hip pain
  • Pain when standing or walking
  • Catching or locking sensation in the hip
  • Stiffness or limited movement

Diagnosis

If hip pain has persisted for more than six weeks and worsens with daily activity, an assessment from a qualified physiotherapist is recommended. A physiotherapist will perform movement and strength tests, and may refer for MRI or X-ray.

Treatment

Many patients regain mobility and function through targeted physiotherapy without surgery. Treatment focuses on pain management, improving hip stability, restoring mobility, and retraining movement patterns. Surgery is only recommended when conservative care fails.

Specialist & Regenerative Medicine Options

Because the labrum has a poor inherent blood supply, healing following a tear can be slow and incomplete. Our Prestidge sports physicians can offer specialist treatments that may support labral healing and provide a pathway between conservative care and surgical intervention.
  • Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy — Ultrasound or fluoroscopy-guided PRP injection delivers a concentrated source of growth factors directly to the torn labral tissue, stimulating repair and reducing inflammation at the injury site.
  • Stem Cell Therapy — Mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow or adipose tissue can be injected into the hip joint environment to support tissue regeneration and cartilage repair, particularly in tears associated with early joint degeneration.
  • Hyaluronic Acid (Viscosupplementation) — Improving joint lubrication with hyaluronic acid reduces friction and offloads the labrum, providing symptomatic relief while regenerative healing progresses.
  • Prolotherapy — Strengthening the ligaments and capsule surrounding the hip joint reduces abnormal movement patterns that contribute to ongoing labral stress.
  • Corticosteroid Injections — Used selectively to manage acute pain flares, enabling more effective participation in physiotherapy.

Our sports and exercise physicians at Prestidge work alongside your treating clinician to determine which option best suits your condition, goals, and stage of injury. Image-guided
procedures are performed with precision and care. Visit prestidge.com.au to learn more about our full range of specialist services.

Important: All specialist consultations, prescription treatments, and injectable procedures are subject to individual clinical assessment by a registered medical practitioner. Suitability, potential benefits, and risks will be discussed during your consultation. No treatment outcomes are guaranteed. Prescription medicines — including testosterone and peptide therapies — are only available following appropriate medical review and a valid prescription in accordance with TGA and AHPRA requirements.

Prevention Tips

Build hip strength, maintain flexibility, and learn proper movement techniques. Regular guidance from your clinician can help ensure the surrounding muscles remain strong and the joint stays stable.