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Health condition · Clinically reviewed

Hip labral tear, groin pain, mechanical clicking - and the pathway that fixes it.

A torn acetabular labrum is a common cause of young-adult groin pain. The route through it - imaging, rehab, injections and hip arthroscopy - is a well-worn one.

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A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Why trust this guide

  • 01

    Clinically reviewed

    Written by our editorial team and reviewed by a registered UK clinician before publication.

  • 02

    Sourced from guidance

    Checked against BOA, BHS and peer-reviewed hip preservation sources you can see at the end.

  • 03

    Current for 2026

    Reflects modern UK hip preservation practice, MRI arthrogram imaging and hip arthroscopy pathways.

Key facts

Hip labral tear at a glance.

The essentials, in plain English - what the labrum is, why it tears, and how UK hip preservation teams treat it today.

  • What it is

    A tear of the acetabular labrum, the fibrocartilaginous ring that seals and stabilises the hip joint at the socket rim.

  • Why it happens

    Most commonly driven by femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip dysplasia, trauma, capsular laxity or degenerative wear.

  • Who gets it

    Young active adults, dancers, gymnasts, footballers and hockey players, plus people with hypermobility or dysplasia.

  • Classic feel

    Groin or deep hip pain with clicking, catching or locking, worse on activity, twisting or prolonged sitting.

  • Gold-standard test

    MRI arthrogram of the hip - the most sensitive scan for labral tears, read by a specialist musculoskeletal radiologist.

  • Best-evidenced fix

    Hip arthroscopy with labral repair, alongside correction of any underlying FAI or dysplasia driver.

Why this guide matters

Fix the driver, not just the tear.

Labral tears rarely happen in isolation. The three points below shape the whole pathway - from first scan to specialist surgery.

  • FAI is the usual driver

    Most young-adult labral tears sit on top of femoroacetabular impingement - see our guide to hip impingement. Treating the tear without the bone shape rarely lasts.

  • Dysplasia changes the plan

    A shallow socket needs reorientation, not just arthroscopy - our page on hip dysplasia explains why PAO can be the right answer.

  • MRI arthrogram is the gold standard

    A specialist musculoskeletal MRI arthrogram reads the labrum and cartilage better than any other scan.

How the diagnosis is made

From first groin pain to a clear plan.

The steps a UK hip preservation team will normally follow, in order - so you know what to expect and why each investigation matters.

  1. 01

    Assessing

    Structured history

    Groin pain, mechanical symptoms, activity level, prior trauma, dance or pivot sports, and any family history of hip disease.

  2. 02

    Assessing

    Targeted hip examination

    Range of movement, FADIR and FABER tests, and impingement provocation manoeuvres to reproduce the pain.

  3. 03

    Assessing

    Screen for hypermobility

    Beighton score and generalised laxity flag borderline dysplasia and capsular contributions that change the plan.

  4. 04

    Confirming

    Plain radiographs

    AP pelvis and lateral hip views look for cam and pincer FAI morphology, acetabular dysplasia and early osteoarthritis.

  5. 05

    Confirming

    MRI arthrogram - gold standard

    Contrast enters the joint and highlights labral tears, cartilage damage and paralabral cysts far more clearly than plain MRI.

  6. 06

    Planning

    Diagnostic intra-articular block

    A specialist-guided local anaesthetic injection into the joint. Symptom relief confirms the pain is truly intra-articular.

  7. 07

    Planning

    Hip preservation MDT review

    A specialist commissioned team weighs arthroscopy, PAO for dysplasia and non-operative care against age, morphology and cartilage status.

Typical timeline: from first specialist visit to a settled treatment plan in a matter of weeks.

Symptoms

What a torn labrum actually feels like.

The classic mix of groin pain and mechanical symptoms, plus the examination signs a hip preservation specialist looks for. And the features that mean it is time to escalate.

  • Deep groin pain

    A dull ache in the front of the hip or groin, sometimes described with a cupped C-sign hand over the joint.

  • Clicking and catching

    Mechanical sensations deep in the joint on twisting, rising from a chair or getting out of a car.

  • Locking or giving way

    The hip briefly locks or feels unstable - a strong pointer to a displaced labral flap tear.

  • Loss of internal rotation

    Reduced range with pain at end-range flexion and internal rotation, especially in FAI-driven tears.

  • Activity and pivot pain

    Worse on running, cutting, deep squatting, dance turnout or long car drives - better with rest.

  • Positive FADIR and FABER

    Provocation tests that reproduce groin pain in flexion, adduction and internal rotation, or figure-of-four position.

  • Chronic intermittent pattern

    Symptoms flare with activity, settle with rest, and creep back over months or years without a clear injury.

  • Red flag - true locking

    Genuine mechanical locking, night pain or rapid loss of function warrants prompt specialist hip preservation review.

Treatment

How a labral tear is treated in the UK.

A stepped ladder from specialist physiotherapy and activity modification to image-guided steroid injection, and where indicated hip arthroscopy or periacetabular osteotomy.

  • Structured physiotherapy

    Targeted hip and core rehabilitation, gluteal strengthening and movement retraining, ideally with a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist.

  • Activity modification

    Temporary reduction of deep flexion, pivoting and impact loading while the joint calms and strength rebuilds.

  • NSAIDs and simple analgesia

    Short courses of anti-inflammatories and paracetamol help manage flares and allow rehab to progress.

  • Intra-articular steroid

    A specialist image-guided steroid injection into the hip joint calms inflammation and buys a window for rehabilitation.

  • Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

    Selective specialist option in carefully chosen cases, still limited by evidence but used in some hip preservation clinics.

  • Hip arthroscopy - labral repair

    Keyhole surgery to repair the labrum and address the underlying FAI, performed by a specialist commissioned hip preservation surgeon.

  • Labral reconstruction

    Autograft or allograft reconstruction where the native labrum is irreparable - preserves the suction seal of the joint.

  • PAO for dysplasia

    Periacetabular osteotomy reorients a shallow socket - the definitive fix when dysplasia is the underlying driver of the tear.

What this guide is based on

The sources behind every claim on this page.

UK national guidance and specialist society standards, current at the time of last review.

Key references

Guidelines and standards we relied on.

A quiet reminder

This guide is for information, not medical advice.

Your GP or hip preservation specialist knows your hip, your imaging and your goals, and can tell you which parts apply to you. If in doubt, get seen.

  • British Hip Society (BHS). Hip preservation and arthroscopy standards.

  • British Orthopaedic Association (BOA). Guidance on femoroacetabular impingement and labral pathology.

  • NICE. Arthroscopic femoro-acetabular surgery for hip impingement syndrome (IPG408).

  • International Hip Preservation Society. Consensus on labral repair, reconstruction and PAO indications.

Red flags

When hip pain needs urgent attention.

Most labral tears are managed calmly through a hip preservation pathway. These are the situations that need faster review or a different diagnosis.

  • True mechanical locking

    A hip that physically locks in position needs prompt specialist hip preservation review to exclude a displaced flap or loose body.

  • Rapid loss of function

    Sudden inability to weight-bear, walk or climb stairs deserves urgent orthopaedic assessment, not watchful waiting.

  • Night pain and rest pain

    Pain that wakes you from sleep or is present at rest may signal advanced joint damage, infection or - rarely - a bone lesion.

  • Instability or subluxation

    A hip that feels like it slips or gives way, especially with hypermobility or dysplasia, needs specialist review before any arthroscopy.

  • Post-traumatic tear

    A clear injury with immediate groin pain and mechanical symptoms benefits from early MRI arthrogram and specialist opinion.

  • Progressive stiffness

    Loss of range with pain on internal rotation may signal early osteoarthritis, which changes surgical decision-making.

  • Fever or systemic symptoms

    Hip pain with fever, sweats or weight loss is a red flag for septic arthritis or malignancy - urgent same-day review.

  • Paediatric or adolescent hip pain

    Groin pain in a child or teenager needs early assessment to exclude SUFE, Perthes disease and dysplasia-related labral injury.

  • Failure of good non-operative care

    Three to six months of well-delivered rehab without progress is a reason to escalate to specialist hip preservation, not to keep grinding.

Living with it

A treatable condition, with a clear ladder.

Four things that make the biggest difference day to day - proper rehab, sensible load management, watching prolonged sitting, and knowing when to step up to a specialist.

A quiet reminder

Consistency beats intensity, every time.

Small, steady rehab habits, kept up for months, do more for a torn labrum than a heroic fortnight that fizzles out.

  1. 01 Rehab

    Do the physiotherapy properly

    A specialist-led hip and core programme, kept up for months, is what actually shifts symptoms - not a fortnight of stretches.

  2. 02 Load

    Modify, do not abandon

    Swap deep pivots and long sits for cycling, swimming or graded loading. Movement stays your friend - just the right kind.

  3. 03 Sitting

    Watch prolonged sitting

    Long drives, low sofas and deep car seats aggravate impingement-driven labral tears. Stand, stretch and reset every 30 to 45 minutes.

  4. 04 Escalate

    Know when to ask for arthroscopy

    If mechanical symptoms persist despite good rehab, do not settle - ask for a specialist commissioned hip preservation opinion.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about labral tears.

Quick answers on diagnosis, physiotherapy, injections, arthroscopy and PAO.

  • What is a hip labral tear?

    A hip labral tear is a tear of the acetabular labrum, the fibrocartilaginous ring around the rim of the hip socket. The labrum deepens the socket, seals the joint and helps distribute load. Tears cause groin pain and mechanical symptoms and are most often driven by femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), hip dysplasia or trauma.

  • How is a hip labral tear diagnosed?

    Diagnosis starts with a careful history and hip examination, including FADIR and FABER tests. Plain X-rays look for underlying FAI or dysplasia, and MRI arthrogram of the hip is the gold-standard scan. A specialist-guided intra-articular anaesthetic injection can confirm the pain is truly coming from inside the joint.

  • Can a hip labral tear heal without surgery?

    A labral tear itself rarely heals structurally, but many patients settle their symptoms with structured physiotherapy, activity modification, anti-inflammatories and sometimes an intra-articular steroid injection. Non-operative care is a reasonable first step, especially without true mechanical locking or advanced FAI.

  • When is hip arthroscopy needed?

    Hip arthroscopy is considered when symptoms persist despite three to six months of well-delivered rehabilitation, when there are true mechanical symptoms, or when clear FAI morphology is driving the tear. It is a specialist commissioned procedure - labral repair is preferred over debridement, with reconstruction reserved for irreparable tears.

  • What is the difference between a labral tear and hip impingement?

    Hip impingement (FAI) is an abnormal bony contact between the femoral head-neck junction and the acetabular rim. Over time this abnormal contact damages the labrum and can produce a tear. Most young-adult labral tears are FAI-driven, which is why surgery usually addresses the bone shape and the labrum together.

  • What if my labral tear is caused by hip dysplasia?

    When the underlying driver is hip dysplasia, arthroscopic labral repair alone can destabilise the joint further. The definitive treatment is periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), which reorients the shallow socket. This is a specialist commissioned procedure planned by a hip preservation MDT.

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