What You Should Know About a Labrum Tear

Do you have joint pain in your shoulder or your hip? If you’re an athlete, you could be suffering from a labrum tear — a type of joint injury caused by torn cartilage.

Cartilage is a soft but slick material that cushions your joints. When it gets torn, it causes joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Unfortunately, the symptoms of different joint injuries can be similar, so getting an accurate diagnosis isn’t always easy.

If you’ve bothered by shoulder pain or hip pain, schedule an appointment with our sports medicine team at Manhattan Orthopedics. We specialize in diagnosing and treating many types of joint injuries — including labrum tears — so you can get the care you need.

Labrum tears can affect your shoulder or your hip

Your shoulders and your hips are some of the largest ball-and-socket joints in your body. Ball-and-socket joints are extremely flexible, but their structure makes them uniquely susceptible to injury.

Both your shoulders and your hips have labrum cartilage as part of the ball-and-socket joint structure. Since both types of joints have a labrum, you could suffer a shoulder labrum tear or a hip labrum tear.

The labrum is a soft, flexible piece of cartilage that cups the ball-shaped bone in the joint. In your shoulder, it covers the end of your upper arm bone. In your hip, it covers the top of your leg bone.

Labrum tears are most common among athletes

Anyone can suffer a labrum tear, but they’re most common in athletes. That’s because labrum tears are the result of repetitive overuse or trauma.

Your risk of suffering a shoulder labrum tear could be higher if you play sports that involve overhead motion, throwing, or high-contact. Some of these sports include:

• Baseball
• Football
• Hockey
• Softball
• Swimming
• Weightlifting

Your risk of suffering a hip labrum tear increases if you participate in sports like:

• Ballet
• Football
• Golf
• Hockey
• Soccer

If you don’t play sports, you could get a labrum tear if you fall or suffer a traumatic injury, such as a car accident.

Labrum tears may be difficult to diagnose

Joint injuries are complex. Some labrum tears are the result of acute, sudden injury. Others develop slowly, and symptoms may get more severe over time.

Signs of a labrum tear can include:

• Catching or locking sensation in the joint
• Clicking sensation in the joint
• Limited range of motion
• Joint stiffness
• Pain in the joint

These symptoms can affect your shoulder joint or your hip joint. If you have a hip labrum tear, another possible symptom is groin pain.

Unfortunately, these symptoms are common among many different types of joint injuries. Similar symptoms can make labrum tears difficult to diagnose effectively, but an accurate diagnosis is essential for proper treatment.

If you have shoulder pain or hip pain that hasn’t been diagnosed, it could be a labrum tear. Get a comprehensive evaluation from our sports medicine specialists to get a diagnosis and a treatment plan that’s right for you. Call the Manhattan Orthopedics clinic nearest you, or request your first appointment online now.