Hip Preservation
Hip impingement and labral tears: symptoms and treatment.
Femoroacetabular impingement and labral tears can cause pain during sports, exercise, prolonged sitting, or everyday movement. Treatment begins by determining whether the symptoms, examination, and imaging findings point to a problem inside the hip joint.
When to schedule an evaluation
- Persistent groin or front-of-hip pain
- Pain with deep bending, squatting, pivoting, or prolonged sitting
- Catching, clicking, locking, or a sharp pinching sensation
- Loss of hip motion or difficulty returning to sports
- Symptoms that continue despite rest or activity modification
Understanding the Problem
Hip shape, the labrum, and joint mechanics.
Femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI, occurs when the shape of the femoral head-neck junction, the acetabular rim, or both creates abnormal contact during hip motion. This may irritate the labrum and articular cartilage over time.
The labrum is a ring of fibrocartilage around the hip socket that contributes to joint stability and the fluid seal of the hip. A labral tear may cause pain or mechanical symptoms, but imaging findings must be interpreted together with the history and examination because some people have FAI morphology or labral changes without symptoms.
Common Patterns
Different findings can occur alone or together.
Cam impingement
Extra bone or reduced roundness at the femoral head-neck junction can contact the socket during flexion and rotation.
Pincer impingement
Prominence or overcoverage at the acetabular rim can create contact between the socket and femoral neck.
Labral tear
The labrum may be injured through impingement, twisting, repetitive activity, trauma, dysplasia, or degenerative change.
Evaluation
Evaluation includes a discussion of symptom location, activities that reproduce pain, prior treatment, and your goals. The examination assesses gait, hip motion, strength, tenderness, and positions that reproduce symptoms.
X-rays help evaluate hip shape, alignment, joint space, and signs of arthritis or dysplasia. MRI may be recommended to evaluate the labrum and cartilage. In selected cases, an image-guided injection can provide both diagnostic information and temporary symptom relief.
Early treatment
Treatment often begins with temporary activity modification, physical therapy, and medication when medically appropriate. Therapy may focus on hip and core strength, movement control, mobility, and avoiding positions that repeatedly provoke symptoms.
An injection may be considered when additional diagnostic information or short-term pain relief would help guide treatment. The plan should be based on the source of symptoms rather than an imaging finding alone.
Nonsurgical Treatment
Improving comfort and hip function.
Not every patient with FAI morphology or a labral tear needs surgery. Symptoms may improve with changes in training or daily activities, a structured rehabilitation program, and treatment of contributing strength or movement deficits.
Physical therapy does not reattach a torn labrum, but it may reduce symptoms and allow a return to desired activities without surgery.
Hip Arthroscopy
Treating the labrum and underlying impingement.
Hip arthroscopy may be considered when symptoms continue despite appropriate nonsurgical care and the examination and imaging identify a treatable source of pain. Surgery may include labral repair and reshaping of cam or pincer bone when indicated.
Cartilage condition, arthritis, hip stability, dysplasia, anatomy, age, activity goals, and other possible causes of pain all influence whether arthroscopy is appropriate.
View hip procedure animations →Recovery and Return to Activity
Rehabilitation is individualized.
Recovery depends on the diagnosis and treatment performed. After hip arthroscopy, rehabilitation generally progresses through protection of healing tissue, restoration of motion, strength and movement control, then running, agility, and sport-specific activity when appropriate.
Weight-bearing restrictions and the timing of work, driving, exercise, and sports vary according to whether the labrum was repaired, bone was reshaped, cartilage was treated, and other procedures were performed. Your postoperative plan will be tailored to those details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about hip impingement and labral tears.
Does every labral tear require surgery?
No. Some labral tears do not cause symptoms, and many symptomatic patients improve with activity modification and physical therapy. Treatment depends on the complete clinical picture.
Can FAI appear on an X-ray without causing pain?
Yes. Hip shape alone does not establish the source of pain. Symptoms, examination findings, and imaging must correspond before treatment is directed at FAI.
Will physical therapy heal a torn labrum?
Therapy does not reattach the torn tissue, but improving strength, movement, and activity tolerance can reduce symptoms enough that surgery is unnecessary.
When can I return to sports?
Timing varies with the injury, treatment, and sport. Return is based on healing, motion, strength, movement quality, functional progression, and the demands of the activity.
Additional Patient Education
Trusted independent resources.
Hip pain limiting sports or everyday activity?
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Medical review: Michael C. Stanton, M.D. · September 2026
This information is for general educational purposes and does not replace an evaluation or individualized medical advice.