The hip labrum is a cartilaginous ring that extends around the outside of the hip socket as seen in the illustration below. Hip labral tears manifest as sharp, nagging pain deep in the hip or the groin areas. Pain associated with a hip labral tear may also refer down the thigh towards the knee. Car accidents and chronic repetitive stress imposed from years of sports or yoga are often root causes of hip labral tears. Women appear to be much more susceptible to this type of injury.
Hip labral surgery is a comparatively new orthopedic procedure that seeks to repair the labrum and thus stabilize the hip socket. This type of surgery is becoming less invasive from year to year: the patients that we see now have very small surgical scars and fewer post-operative precautions.
Precautions & Expectations in Regards to Hip Labral Repair Surgeries
1. Almost all post-operative labral repair patients are “non-weight bearing” for a minimum of two weeks following the surgery. Patients use crutches during this time frame. In terms of rehabilitation, I ask patients to lie flat on a bed or on the floor for a period of time each day that he or she is using crutches. The purpose of this is to allow the hip flexor muscles to relax into a neutral position, as suspending one’s leg while using crutches does require prolonged flexion of the hip.
2. Swelling in the hip area is an inevitable effect of surgery and causes the surrounding muscles to “shut down.” Isometric exercises are typically started shortly after surgery in order to minimize the negative effects of swelling. The gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hip adductors, and hip flexors can all be trained gently through isometric exercise. There are many resources on the Internet that can lead you in the right direction in terms of isometric exercise instruction.
3. Pain in the lower back and pelvis following labral repair surgery is common because of muscular imbalance. The spine in general does not handle asymmetry well: if one leg cannot accept weight well for a prolonged period of time, the lower back and pelvis are loaded too heavily from the stronger side. In order to minimize this effect, in rehabilitation we encourage the patient to work on idealizing the mobility of the lower back and pelvis through a series of exercises (see Why all the Fuss about the Gluteus Maximus and The Clamshell Exercise). It also goes without saying that the sooner the patient regains his or her strength and weight bearing capacity on the surgical side, the better the lower back and pelvis will feel.
We have two (2) exercises on our “media” tab under the abdominal section: “pelvic clock” and “pelvic control” are good ideas in terms of restoring lower back and pelvic alignment. The password to get into the exercises is “patient.”
Great for ankle stabilization training! Use it for single leg balance, air squats, or as a way to cushion your knees while performing exercises in a kneeling position.
5. With hip and knee surgery in particular, people have the long-term tendency to develop habits that keep them from maintaining full weight and strength through the leg. Avoid crossing your surgical leg over the uninvolved leg when seated, and when standing, force yourself to bear your weight equally through both legs. The body will often unconsciously try to default over to the non-surgical side because it has learned to do so. Initial post-surgical weight bearing precautions are a necessary evil: people need to re-teach their bodies to accept weight equally, and this may takes months of practice.
PhysioDC Podcast: Experts Talk About The Hip
Andrew Wolff, MD (orthopedic surgeon) and Dana Logan, MSPT (physical therapist specializing in hip rehabilitation) discuss everything that you need to know about advances in hip surgery and conservative management. This episode is a must for anybody wanting to know more about FAI, hip labral surgery/reconstruction, and rehabilitation of the hip.
Visit our PhysioDC podcast page.
Hi there. I had hip arthroscopy done a month ago. Once the Dr went in he saw that it was an old tear and all he did was clean it up. He said there was no impingment taking place so he didn’t need to do anything else. I had been experiencing pain from deep in my groin all the way around to my Iliac crest and had very limited Rom, I was also born with hip dysplasia and my right foot turns in a little due to it. I started having issues when my hip would lock up during any type of hip hinging motions. I’m also a professional physique competitor. I was progressing very quick through PT and the only restriction i had was to be on crutches for a week or 2. I have followed everything to a t, even weened back into work. 2 weeks ago I pivoted to turn to talk to someone and my hip caught and almost took me to my knees. Ever since then my pain is back and I can’t last more than an hour on my feet so I put myself back on crutches. Should I be worried? Have i back tracked?
I would have the ortho check that out to be safe. That does sound to me like you had a quick little positional impingement with the twist, and you can certainly be more susceptible to that while your hip is still weak. Take it easy and let it heal.
Hi I had hip surgery as well about 6 weeks will be April 11th. The doctor repaired two tears and the shaving of the bone. I am still on the walker, in a lot of pain and now my same leg is swollen. see is from my hip to my toes. Should I be worried or do I need to be seen.
I would see the doc about the swelling issue.
I had hip surgery for a labrum tare about 3 1/2 weeks ago and over the weekend , I was sitting in a chair and all I did was straighten my back a little and leaned forward slightly and I heard a big pop in the right hip where my surgery was done. There was some pain associated with it and ever since it is now harder to bare weight on that side when I walk and hurts a little. Is this normal?
I can’t imagine that this did anything substantial. This may have been a little bit of scar tissue popping, which long term may actually be a good thing. I would keep the activity level on par with the protocols and of course fill the doc in on what is going on.
Hi, At 51, I had arthroscopic surgery (debridement) for a labral tear in my right hip. It’s been 1 year and all has been going well until 2 weeks ago when, as a preschool teacher, I injured the same location of my hip and am feeling sharp pinching pain in my groin that is impacting my lower back as well. Is this typical? Will rest, ice, ibuprofen work despite daily activity with preschool students? Or do I need to make an appointment?
Thanks!
Injured teacher
It could be a couple of different things, my money is on a strength or alignment issue. I would get it checked out.
Hi Dan,
I am about 10 months post-op for a labrum repair and cam type fai. The pain I’d had from the tear prior to surgery was gone almost immediately after the repair. I did have issues with swelling around the hip, as well as pain and tightness in my hip flexor that started at the time I made the move from 2 crutches down to 1/off completely, and has continued. I had a repeat MRI at 4 mos which confirmed the repair/anchors were intact and negative for other injury, so I was told to give it time and continue with PT. I have had 2 steroid injections around the psoas bursa, with some improvement. I rhave eturned to work which includes long hours on my feet, and frequent air travel so it has remained irritated despite restricting hours/day initially. In December I found a trainer with an athletic training/PT background that gave me more stretching options for the hip flexor and simple balance/strengthening to go along with the PT exercises that I have continued at home. It did improve some with this, and a 2 week break from work travel to the point that I finally began walking normally, although still with discomfort.
Over the last 2 mos I have hit a point that sitting in one place longer than 30 minutes I have pain/discomfort through my hip/groin and around the side of the hip and into the thigh, and when I stand up for the first minute or so of walking I get a catching sensation on the outside of the hip, this will also happen if I walk too quickly or too much. I am also noticing a catching sensation in the front of the hip again, groin pain and pain high up in hamstring as well. I have had swelling since the surgery that has continued pretty consistently. I have continued PT exercises, stretching, foam-rolling, icing, some form of cardio most days (swimming, elliptical, stationary bike) as had been suggested by the dr. I have tried yoga to tolerance, and a couple of spin classes recently with low resistance just trying to find something that will work.
I am a runner and generally active person, and itching to get back to some sort of normal workouts and to running again, and if nothing else get through a normal work day without feeling miserable. I understand recovery from this procedure takes time, and my range of motion is definitely better than months ago, but I feel like I am now going backwards. With the continued swelling, groin pain, and now return of catching sensations is it possible I have re-torn the labrum or other injury? Do I just need to give it more time, or should I return to my surgeon? I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, but something just doesn’t seem right. Thank you!!
I would back off the exercise routine for 1-2 weeks. That might be difficult for you to handle from a mental standpoint, but this sounds to me like you are a bit overtrained.
Hi, I am 10 weeks post-op on my left hip. I have been having a lot of discomfort in my back left glute, it gets the most painful after sitting for long periods of time (working) and sometimes after too much time standing. Is this because the glute muscles are just so tight? Or is there another reason for this.
Thank you!
Tight muscles are usually weak muscles. I would guess that this should slowly abate the stronger your buttock muscles get. This may take several more months to get there.
Hello. I am about 4 1/2 months post op from a torn labrum repair (with micro fracture) on my left hip. 8 weeks of crutches with no weight bearing. Things have generally progressed well. However, over the last month or better I’ve had a catching sensation with a shooting sensation when I release pressure off of my leg (usually after standing with equal weight for 30 seconds or longer). I reported this to my surgeon (very well respected) about 6 weeks ago and he said he wasn’t concerned with this “catching.” Not much improvement on this front, really. I have increased my stretching and strengthening exercises some over this time but don’t feel like I am over doing it (3-4 times per week). I was released from PT about the same time (6 weeks ago). Just wondering if this “catching” when lifting my leg after standing with pretty good pain is normal. Any suggestions on either rest, exercise or anything else to get through this? Thank you very much!
I would back the strength training down to twice weekly for a few weeks at least and see if that changes anything. If there is a low level of inflammation in the hip I would guess that it could be manifested in the way that you describe.
Thank you! I’ll back off and see if it improves. Appreciate your time.
I had arthroscopic labrum surgery on my right hip a few weeks back. He also shaved my hip and femur. I know it takes a while but is my skin sensitivity down my thigh normal? It is so painful that it wakes me up at night. It hurts more than my groin. And how do I get this to stop, ice? Massage? It hurts to even have my pants rub up against my leg.
I am guessing that this is a nerve sensitivity? I would let the doc know about it. This might be something that medication could take the edge off of, but alas pharmaceuticals are not my bag. I did have a patient once tell me that she wrapped her upper leg with ace-wrap in order to lessen the sensitivity of her clothes.
Hey, 1 year post op. 100% pain free. On going flare up for the last 6 months. Physio didn’t work. MRA last month says there are subtle irregularities of the labrum near the original site and there is some extension of contrast into the inferior labrum. He didn’t have any preop Mra to compare it too. Pain is in groin and front of the hip. Sudden outward/twisting movements give me a pinching pain. Pain is very similar to pre-op pain without the limp. New physio is suspecting possible inflammation. Surgeon wants me to look at steroid injections. Any ideas? 6months pain is very frustrating. Thanks.
Forgot to add it was a slip and overstrerch of the hip that caused the flare up.
If the slip was six months ago, there certainly could be a tear associated with that. I would do as much conservative management as possible, including PT and the injections. There is also something to be said about allowing appropriate time to let the soft tissue heal. That is tricky to do, because walking in many cases tends to be an irritant. I would maybe ask the doc and the PT if it would be prudent to unload the hip with crutches for a week?
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately my recent MR Arthrogram last month came back negative for a new tear. I personally dont think the quality was as good as my original diagnosing scan. Physio has noticed there is a significant amount of resistance with outwards and upwards movement of the hip.
Thanks
I had left hip labrum tear and it was surgically repaired seven weeks ago. I had a cam “bump” on the femoral head shaved smooth. In order to do this the surgeon had to carve away the cartilage on the femoral head. He then drilled three holes in the bone in order for the cartilage to respond better and regenerate. I am in PT, but it is going very slowly. I am only stretching and squeezing glutes and abs. I want to do more. At this rate my PT says I should not think about competitive waterskiing until 2019. My desire is to get on the water in May. One PA told me after three months the site should be healed and I can not damage it . I may just get pain from swelling but not hurt the repair. What is the case here.
I would agree with the PT. Waterskiing in May sounds premature. I do think that there would be potential to re-injure with higher level activities this early because of the lack of muscle support.
I got my right labrum repaired 10 days ago. I also had a cam & Pisner lesion that was shaved down. I still have clicking when i stand up or straighten my leg in my hip. I also have pain running down my thigh to my knee as well as in my right glut med. is this normal post op especially the clicking? I called my ortho & he said it’s normal for up to 8 months post op but it still worries me.
For 10 days out I am going to agree with the orthopedist. This may bother you for a while. Stick to the rehab protocol.
I’m at post op day 29 now. I had an FAI combined, AIIS and they did an osteoplasty, rim trimming, AIIS decompression. I am still on crutches at 60% weight bearing, but my right (surgical) hip pops when going up stairs, is this normal or did I accidentally do something bad?
The rectus femoris (one of the hip flexors) has origin right on the AIIS. It would not surprise me if this tendon is causing some popping sensation while you are flexing the hip actively (such as when you ascend stairs). Ask the doc about it, but this is probably par for the course.
I had hip impingment surgery, my labrum was too damaged to repair so was removed. This was 9 days ago. Was out of it after surgey so didnt ask alot of questions. How is my hip ok without a labrum to keep it stable. As of now i can toe touch with effected side. My 2 week appt is approaching, but im very nervous i won’t be ok w/o the labrum. Also i have always been very flexible will u be when healed, like sitting indian style is the only way i sit, which has been hard to not do. Will i do this again?
If it were me, I would avoid extreme positions of the hip. Indian style sitting is probably not a great idea. I would focus on getting the strength of all of the supporting muscles ideal, gradually over time and per the doctor’s protocol.
I will defiantly follow instructions. I was just wondering if i was going to, in your opinion have my flexibility. And also how my hip can be stable without the labram.
The labrum provides some stability to the hip, but it is not crucial.
Thank you for your time, and providing this forum.
I have apparently suffered a labrum, and to quote my MRI analysis: There is detachment and truncation of the superior, anterior superior, and posterior superior labrum over a length measuring 2 cm AP consistent with labral tear. Impression: Left acetabular labral tear extending from anterior superior to posterior superior labrum.
Attending specialist only suggest physical therapy due to my age (64). I suffered with this injury for 6 months before this MRI. They sees reluctant to suggest surgery? Is this tear too big, in a unique location, or just surgery restricted due to age? Overall, my movement and structural support is better last 30 days, but burning sensation in the joint area. Mild edema adjacent to left hamstring tendon due to this injury. What is your recommendation? Thanks. I can walk a mile on demand.
Conservative management is always the best idea to start. Many patients with labral tears can rehab the strength up to a point where activity is not painful.
Does the labral tear cause the problems to the tendons, etc., due to the change in your gait, or due to physical pressures put on the hamstrings, etc.?
I would think that it is usually the other way around. An imbalance it the muscles around the hip may cause certain muscles to be overused and other muscles to be underused. This can cause long-term stress on the hip joint and labrum.
I am 13 weeks post op for labral repair and cam and pincer shaving. It felt great for until about 5 days ago. My activity has not increased significantly . I have been taking spin and weight classes since 4 weeks post op. The only change has been some light ploys ( jumping jacks etc.). but not crazy.. I feel that the front of my hip is slightly swollen and I have muscular pain but no significant joint pain. Does this seem normal???
My guess is that you might have some hip flexor tendonitis. I would back off the exercises for a week or two and let it heal. I would also have it assessed by the PT.
Hi there
I see this thread is a few years old but hoping you’re still answering and thanks in advance.
I had hip labral tear surgery three weeks ago on both sides at once. The doctor is amazing and helped to invent this method
He doesn’t really think PT helps but prefers people to move at their own pace in recovery. I used an ice machine, didn’t need crutches even on the day of surgery, in fact was waking slowly the day of.
I’m using a stationary bike for maybe 20 minutes a day and almost walking like nothing happened.
I’m in my 40s and a woman.
My questions are these;
I do ballet and turning out even very gently still hurts a lot so I’m not forcing it. How long should this take to resolve?
Will being peri menopausal and having an irregular period slow recovery? I am not on any replacements and am vegan FYI
Overall I am healthy, the tears were not the worst or least he’s seen.
He stitched the labrum both sides into the bone, shaved bone and cleaned up some cartilage. I naturally have thinner cartilage so he doesn’t believe I have arthritis
Since the surgery I feel pretty good; I have a little groin pain still, I have numbness in one outer thigh which I hate but apparently will resolve. Also some burning in the numb area. Tightness also in the hip flexors. I’m doing sons planks and stretching gently.
I have deep hip joints by the way, not like most dancers.
My surgery took over 4 hours so being in traction that long may have caused the numbness in the right which incidentally was the worse side though I had less pain there.
I can easily bend, tie my shoes, walk for maybe 30 minutes though not very fast
I see the surgeon in two weeks.
I want to dance again if only at a lower level.
Also want to return to Pilates after I’ve seen the doc.
Before the surgery I had very strong hips and legs and glutes from Pilates
Maybe that’s also helping my recovery.
Thanks for answering :)
I have never seen someone who had both hips done at the same time. I would totally err on the conservative side in terms of how you advance this. It is totally fine and expected to take several days per week off to let the muscles accommodate to the strengthening. I would not push the ballet stance with external rotation until at least 10-12 weeks from the op date. Age does have an effect on recovery, and the data for the forty and over crowd is not as great as the younger crowd, but it sounds like you take good care of yourself so I wouldn’t at all be concerned about the peri-menopausal thing.
Thanks for your reply. I saw the doc for my 4 week post op and he said that I’m more like a six week post op patient! Yay! Great news too is that I have 99% of my cartilage! So no arthritis! Very happy about that.
The surgery went great in his opinion. Because of my joint looseness it was easier for him too. Probably my dance and Pilates helped. My strength is almost back. My flexibility is back to average though not to my level yet.
Would not attempt a split yet and sitting cross legged still hurt so avoiding that and only gently stretching the legs outwards.
I got the ok to return to Pilates and I’m only going twice or so avweek so far.
Overall very pleased. My glute pain is all gone! I’d had that for years!
I’m guessing that with time my turnout will return too.
Do you believe this is true? Is it usually the last thing to come back?
That depends. When all of this is said and done, you should have a PT do an evaluation on the hip and see if you have a movement system impairment. If your hip has a tendency to roll forward in the socket, then I would be very careful about sitting “indian style” or turning your feet out excessively. A PT who is versed in “MSI” (Movement System Impairments) should be able to determine that. (MSI is taught at the PT school at Washington University in Saint Louis.)
Had my 2 week post op, was told took labrum out, as i knew. Allowed to put weight on both sides no rotating leg and have to use walker. They said because of the bone shaving my hip is weak right now. So my question is, does it just get stronger again between now and my six week appt? Not allowed to do pt until the 6 week point.
I see a lot of conflicting articles on google. What is the actual success rate of hip impingment surgery?
There just isn’t a huge amount of long-term outcomes data for this type of surgery given that it has really only been done for the last ten years or so. From personal experience, I think that the outcomes are decent, with most people reporting that they feel better off than before the surgery. I do think that this takes a good 6-12 months for solid improvement in at least hal fo these cases.
Hi Doc, thank you so much for taking time to answer questions, its so much appreciated
My surgeon wants to do a FAI scope, labral repair AND a iliopsoas partial release – the first 2 I am ok with but the idea of cutting healthy tendon and muscle seems ridiculous to me, I’ve told him no but he keeps pushing the option.
What is your opinion on this procedure? Thanks again
I think that psoas tendon releases used to be done quite a bit in the past, but not so much nowadays. I would definitely see another hip surgeon about this. Multiple opinions are always a good idea.
Hi, My daughter is 18 year old and had a labral tear repair along with a shaving of her femoral head, about 4 weeks ago. She has been going to PT and is doing good and has started walking slightly, however she still feels pain in her groin when she does some movements such as; slight twisting, bending more than 90 deg, laying on her side ect. She sometimes complains of it hurting on the outside (More of a bone pain). Is this type of pain normal to feel this late after surgery? Thank You so much for your expertise!
All sorts of pain is typically evident at 4 weeks post op. I would guess that this is normal and a function of weakness and swelling. A slow transition into walking is recommended.
Hi Dan. I am a 17 year old competitive soccer player. I was diagnosed in November of 2017 with FAI Impingement with a torn labrum. I ended up getting hip arthroscopy in early December. Three months after the surgery I experienced absolutely no pain and was doing better than expected. I then started running on the alter-g and was fine the first time at around 60%. However, I ran again about 2 days later at 65% and it did not feel right. It felt like the alter-g might not have been calibrated properly and it felt like I was putting a lot of force on my hip (more so than what I would have expected at 65%). I usually run on it for 10 minutes but I had to stop it short at roughly 5 minutes because it was becoming slightly painful and I didn’t want to push it. I continued to do the other exercises at PT, however, when I got home I had intense pain and iced to try to remedy this. That intense pain went away, but ever since (for about a month now), my hip has not felt as strong as it did prior to the event at PT and I now have strange aches and pains in my groin, the side of my hip, and near the hip bone. None of these pains are sharp, just achy and uncomfortable. Also, it seems that they get worse as the day wears on, and then become better after I wake up, and that cycle continues.
Since it has lasted for roughly a month, I decided to cool it with the PT and am waiting to get an MRI to see if there is anything wrong. I would appreciate your thoughts and insight on what might be going on. Additionally, how hard is it to re-tear the labrum as my surgeon and PT person have said that it is very hard. What would the symptoms be?
I would appreciate your help.
I do think that the MRI is a good idea. I would obviously have to see how you move etc., but lots of people who have FAI have a tendency for the head of the femur to translate forward in the socket because of a muscle imbalance. I would find a PT who has a lot of education in what we call “MSI” (Movement System Impairments) and get a fresh evaluation once this has all calmed down. Realize that you can’t really have this type of evaluation right after a surgery because the body is not moving normally and there is weakness in certain muscle groups etc.. PT is usually focused more on the doc’s protocol and getting basic strength back.
To answer your question it is difficult to re-tear a surgical anchor, but my guess is that it might be an underlying movement dysfunction that is causing the same type of irritation as before.
I had arthroscopic labrum repair from a hip impingement which was also shaved down during the surgery. I was very careful and everything healed nicely, although I may have not done enough PT afterwards. It’s about 10months post op and I am getting back into the gym so I can get back out backpacking and mountaineering. I’ve had no hip pain. Once a week I do leg presses, stair climber, leg extensions, and laying leg curls. I do the elliptical about an hour a day 5 days a week. I am now experiencing pain, albeit completely different that the pain when my labrum was torn. This is more of a deep aching pain that is in the front and outside of my hip. I am wondering if this is because of scar tissue, or arthritis, or unhealed tissue from the surgery. It is extremely annoying. Also, sometimes when I walk, and I notice it more when my leg is extended behind me, there is a slight sharp twinge. Any insight into this or reccomendations would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks so much!!! -RT
My guess is hip flexor tendonitis. I would stop the elliptical training and see the doc about it.
Im 5 weeks post op for labram removal and impingment shaving. Walkinh with cane now. My issue is having a lot of knee pain now, it feel big and stiff no swelling just not right. And my buttock has a burning sensation on thr side that was operated on. Which stated friday. I did have my acl done on that side in 06. Could having this surgery messed up my knee now? Geeze.
I don’t think that an old ACL surgery would directly cause that. I think that it might be possible that you are getting referred pain down to the knee either from the hip or from the lower back. Your PT should be able to assess what the causality is.
Appreciate your response.
Hi there, I’m a 55 year old man who had labrum repair surgery 6 months ago… multiple rounds of PT.. very slow progress and after sitting for 15 hours writing for work 3days ago, I can barely walk, severe pain and I’ve been limping since my surgery. My workouts are sporadic.. is it normal to feel so much pain still?
At six months, we would normally expect things to at least partially be on the mend. Sitting for 15 hours by the way is going to probably place a bit of stress on the anterior portion of the acetabulum. Get up every half hour and walk around a bit.
I have a labral tear in my left hip. My doctor suggested surgery. He also mentioned in about 2-3 years, I will need a hip replacement due to arthritis. I didn’t think of this at the time, but can I hold off the labral tear surgery and wait for the hip replacement surgery to fix it all? Will the tear worsen over that period of time if I cut back on the physical activities? I’m a 50 year old female who is very active. Reading about the side effects are making me second guess surgery.
I do agree that two surgeries seem a bit excessive. If it were me, I would see if I could wait it out until a hip replacement is necessary. What about a round of PT? That might buy you some time. Cortisone injections will at times also buy a good amount of time. Higher level activities might worsen the tear(s) (running etc.).
I had laber tear repair and bone shaving and it band streaching 5 days ago. I feel great. Can bear decent amount of weight already. Doc said no more then 50% tho. My only issue is my repaired leg feels longer then the non op leg. Will this resolve? I do most likley need surgery on the other side as well. I have FAI both sides. Will instand even ever agajn. Its fustrating. I fear cuase inhave felt so good maybe ive done to much to soon?
The strength loss can make the effected side feel higher when standing. That should resolve over time as the strength improves. Another piece of advise, stick to the doc’s protocol and do not over-do it. It is great that things are progressing, but don’t take that as an invitation to do too much activity.
I had surgery on rt hip labral tear, hip impingement w/ cyst April 2018 and need the same surgery done on my left hip. My surgeon says the second surgery can be done 6-8 weeks after first one. PT started 3 days after surgery w/ exercises, bike week 2 and aqua therapy starting at week 3. I am concerned about the rt leg supporting my left after the second surgery…would 12 weeks be better? I want to get these surgeries done asap as I am supposed to be in a wedding in late October. What do you think?
I have a patient now who is in his thirties and had the same surgery. He is in decent physical shape and he is well within normal weight (maybe even a bit skinny). He wants to have the other hip done, and I would say that he is just about ready to have it at 12-14 weeks. Everybody is different in terms of fitness level, weight, age, etc.. I would not schedule the 2nd surgery until you know that the 1st leg can take the sudden increase in weight bearing. I would recommend 12 weeks at a minimum, but in most cases it might take considerably longer than that. Having a good PT who can size you up after the 1st surgery is also a good idea.
Hi there, so I had my labels repair/impingment surgery may 4th, I do understand I’ll still be in quite a bit of pain 11 days post op, I was just recently cleared of the brace, however still non weight bearing on crutches…..i have noticed since the brace being off, I am still experiencing the popping in my hip however worse, doesn’t take much movement for the popping to happen, and the shaping hurts worse than before surgery
I had a labral repair/fai march 207 where the suregon shaved down my cam lesion on my femur as well. It took a long painful recovery but the last 2 months have been the most pain free and best i have felt. About 3 days ago i was leaning into a lacrosse ball rubbing out my shoulder and i heard a pop come from my hip. I was alarmed but it didnt hurt. The next day i had pain in my trochanter area and also my posterior/lateral hip and glute. It hurts when i wake up in the morning and i have been dealing with stiffness in the area as well. Im worried i re tore my labrum. I know it doesnt seem likely but the pain and stiffness are familiar to me. Do you think it could just be a tight IT band? Im also getting some pain in my knee as well. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.
March 2017 was my surgery date*
I would think that this is most likely the ITB snapping over the trochanter, but if the pain persists I would see the ortho about it.
Thank you for the quick response. I also have been getting buzzing sensations in my lateral thigh as well, which i havent had in a couple of years. Any idea what causes the sensation. Thanks again for all your help you seem to care a great deal for people here on the internet.
Hi, I am exactly 4 weeks post op from a hip labral tear, FAI (cam and pincer, so they shaved the bone down). The tear was a major tear (doc had to sew it up and put 5 anchors in). I think I probably over did it right after surgery, but then the pain went away by week 2-3. as of a few days ago I am experiencing quite a lot of pain (it wakes me up at night) and it is the same type of pain as before I had surgery. It hurts within the joint itself and sometimes is unbearable. How likely is it to re-injure yourself (re-tear or the area they sewed up gets undone)? How long do patients typically feel pain for? My doctor said I should know how well I’ve recovered at about 3 months. Maybe I am just being impatient, but it’s so disheartening and the pain just sucks.
I would think that the highest risk of re-tear is during the first six weeks. If you didn’t do anything extreme (fall, etc.) my guess is that the joint is merely inflamed, which can be quite painful.
How long is the ” typical” person in pt after Labral repair?
It varies. I would say anywhere from two to six months?
Hey Mr. Baumstark,
I am six months post right hip labral tear repair and femoral head shaving. The operation was done in Korea, and there is no access to a qualified physical therapist here. There was no post op protocol provided by my surgeon.
I felt like I was doing okay for a while, but I have hit a plateau. My hip catches and clicks throughout the day. I am a teacher, and I spend about 4 hours on my feet in 50 minute increments throughout the day. I can’t get through any of these 50 minute classes without pain. There is a pretty substantial amount of pain when I bend over and sometimes it catches in my hip on a trigger spot.
Is this pointing towards a revision? Does it sound like there is still a tear in there? The pain is worse than it was before surgery. Thanks for your help.
Paul
That could easily be explained by weakness in specific muscle groups that support the hip. If you have not done any structured strengthening, I would think that there is no better time than the present to get one going. You can find hip strengthening protocols online, but I would suggest finding someone who can help you. If there are no physical therapists around, maybe a personal trainer?
Thanks for the reply. Do you have a link you could share to a protocol you would recommend?
I would try Andrew Wolff MD (look him up on Google), he has good protocols for these surgeries.
Thanks for taking the time to answer so many questions. Really appreciate it.
Hello,
I am 10 weeks out of a labral tear repair and osteoplasty. I was on crutches for 7 weeks, a little longer than my doctor had hoped. I am doing well in physical therapy and am riding the stationary bike and just started lifting some weights and doing the stairmaster three times per week. Usually I am sore the next day and I was just wondering if I should still be taking it pretty easy and resting my hip most of the day when I am not exercising or if I should be trying to be active and move around as much as possible without pain?
Thanks!
This depends on “how things are going”. Your PT should be able to give you an up to date answer for this question, but I would think that at this point a patient such as yourself ought to be walking slowly and for short distances only. The return to full activity should be very gradual.
Im 10 weeks post op. My pt is great, he jas worked with lot of labral repairs. But my labrum was removed. Not sure iam progressing, have a lot of pain. Cant walk much. Worse off now then before surgery. Have u worked with pts with Labral removal and did it work out for them?
Maximal benefit probably won’t be seen for a while. I would back off the exercises for a week or two and let the hip recover a bit more. Many, many people feel exactly like you do at 10 weeks, hang in there are be patient.
Rt hip torn labrum/hip impingement surgery April. Rehab 3x’s a week. inc. pool. At week 4.5 dropped 1 crutch, Week 5, 2nd crutch. At week 5.5 all standing leg work- squats, balancing on 1 leg ball toss and step work. On Monday did all standing exercises but by Tuesday evening rt hip began to get sore, leg & hip feel tight. Told therapist at PT on Wednesday and he said we’ll take it easier. Squats, steps ok, but couldn’t make it thru the 3 sets of 1 leg balance ball toss. Wednesday evening tried to drive around block-1st time in 6 wks-painful getting out of car. Thursday morning I could hardly walk-rt hip hurt like the first day post op, back on 2 crutches. Went to surgeon that day for my 6 week post op appointment. The Dr. said PT too aggressive and prescribed 5 day pack Methylprednisone. Today is Friday, whole hip area painful-front,side,glute, under glute and especially rt groin. Left groin hurts, too. Lots of icing and trying to stay off of my feet as much as possible. Next PT session scheduled for Monday. I’m a 58 yr old female, in good shape but not the athlete like I used to be! Surgery on a torn labrum left hip was to be scheduled for the end of July. I’m terrified damage was done to my rt hip…all my progress down the tubes. I know this is a long recovery with good days and bad but today I’m really bummed. What is your opinion/advice? If I feel a bit better over the weekend should I attempt some stretching exercises or just lay low and wait until I go back to PT Monday afternoon? Will the Methhylprednisone help? Thank you for your time and any advice.
I think that in your case the exercise intensity needs to be ramped up at a very slow rate. I don’t think that you botched the surgery, but it will probably take several weeks for the inflammation to calm down. I would stay away from the balance activity for a good month. I do tell many of the post-op hips that many of these cases do not “turn the corner” until six months post-op. Hang in there!
Dan,
Thank you for responding so quickly. I will try to remain positive and hope that it’s just inflammation, no damage. I did feel things were going a bit fast. I was uncomfortable going forth with the balance exercises but my PT therapist works closely with my surgeon and I thought he knew best. The “no pain, no gain” exercise logic is what got me here in the first place! I need to keep reminding myself that the body at 58 doesn’t work or repair itself like it did years ago. The “being patient” part of this rehab is the most challenging.
Thanks again.
I had a labral repair 4 years ago and recovered well. Last year while playing hockey I injured what I thought was my quad/groin area. After months of constant pain and tests/ scans it was finally established that one of the screws from the labral repair had penetrated the iliopsoas tunnel. I had the screw removed and due to damage had to have a labral reconstruction using a graft from my IT band, Am now 11 weeks post op. Rehab went ok, cycling 60 -90 mins a day along with exercises. I went for a walk to test it, 1.5 km. Was ok but that night the pain increased, mostly to my groin and upper hip area, so I iced it. The following day the pain levels increased. Today I am in agony with groin and low pelvic pain. Pain meds are doing nothing, I have had low back pain, groin and pelvic pain throughout my recovery. This has increased from week 4 onwards. Do you think the likely origin is the labral repair or something to do with my iliopsoas? Thanks in advance
I think that you might be over training a bit for 11 weeks post op. Back it off for two weeks and then very gradually start adding. 60-90 minutes of cycling is a lot. Talk to your PT about a very slow return to activity once this inflammation has calmed down. If the pain does not abate, I would see the doc about it.
Hi. Im listening to your podcast and I heard to state that most people don’t know what cause their injury but I am one that knows what cause mine and it was immediately an onset of pain afterwards. While I was giving birth to my son 2/18/2017 the nurse dropped my leg and I was at the time under anesthesia and after the meds wore off I felt pain. So I knew what caused it. They only discovered it 9/12/2017 and surgery 1/19/2018. I look up the cause of the labral tears and it does say different from you that it’s cause from traumatic fall and injury and athletic like runners. Also I feel it caused arthritis and it hurts from my hip groins area all the way down to my foot sometimes, so why would someone not get surgery if the labral tears will cause arthritis? I wish I would have surgery Immediately if they discovered the tear early. Also why do doctors do X-rays first then MRI without contrast then MRI with contrast to find things?? This prolong everything. If MRI with contrast discovers more why it’s not used first?? Im hearing as I type that you are saying it takes maybe 2yrs to be completely healed after surgery is it possible it that the surgery didn’t work or it’s that I’m having other issues like arthritis?? I’m 5 months out from surgery and sometimes feels worse. I can’t sleep on my side that it’s on, I can’t sit in my car long, I can’t sit too low and get back up without pain and after a long day of anything with my 1yr old is horrible.
Ive been with PT since before they discovered my labral hip tear because they assumed it was a muscle strain at first. All the trainer and doctor say is that it takes time. Should I seek a neurologist??
Labral tears can often be managed by strengthening up around the hip joint rather than surgery. I think that X-rays are done first to rule out things like arthritis, fractures, and cancer etc.. That is the cheapest test to do and rules out some of the more concerning diagnoses. I would bet that insurance companies have something to do with why MRI’s are not done first, as they are more expensive. It may still take a few more months for the hip to come around, it is not uncommon for people to still have appreciable pain five months after a surgery.
Hi Dr. i’m three months postop hip labral tear and some shaving. At about two months. I did some squats with very light weight and haven’t felt good since. I’m really scared that I messed something up there. Some days are better than others. My doctor and PT say it takes time but I have this constant dull achy feeling that only subsides but not completely alleviate with ice and anti-inflammatory meds. Are these symptoms a sign that I compromised the surgery?
If the squatting occurred at two months post-op, the anchors are probably fine. The more likely explanation is that you irritated the joint, which could take quite a while to abate. The doc of course could move your leg around and assess it if you are worried.
Thanks you so much for responding to our concerns. It’s reassuring.
Hi! I am a college basketball player who recently had both of my hips repaired for torn labrum, combined FAI, and PSOAS impingement release. I am currently 9 weeks out from my first surgery and 4 weeks out from the second. I am going to PT twice a week and i’ve been on crutches for 13 weeks now- because of this I have kind of ditched the crutches a bit the second time around- I’m not in very much pain but I’ve been worrying about what this might do for my recovery?
A second question I have is weight lifting…. I have been going to the gym to work on my upper body strength. Again, it is going well and really don’t have any pain doing this, but is this something you wouldn’t suggest doing?
I’m very worried about not recovering on time, but I also hate sitting around doing nothing. Any advice would be very appreciated :)
Ditching the crutches early for the most recent surgery might be slightly risky, I would stick to the crutch protocol, at least for walking longer distances. A lack of pain is great, but it can give you a false sense that you can blaze forward in the rehab process and bypass protocol. That would not be a great idea. In terms of upper body strength, I would guess that you could do just about anything that doesn’t load the legs up inappropriately. Machines would be okay, as would anything that you could do on a bench or mat. Make sure that you run your exercise routine by the PT to be sure! Final advice…..stick to the timeline.
Hi there, I am 10 days post op from labral repair and femoroplasty from CAM and pincer impingement. Doctor said my labrum was detached from 10 o’clock to 3 o’clock, not sure how many anchors he had to put in . I’m weight bearing as tolerated with crutches. I didn’t use my crutches around the house yesterday and felt ok, reason is I also have a cartilage tear in my wrist and the crutches are hurting my wrist. Today my groin and buttock pain are worse than they have ever been and pain goes down to the back of my knee . Feels like sciatica Do you think I could have damaged something by full weight bearing? Post op appointment is not until next week. Thank you. (I’m a 49 year old moderately fit female , hoping to get back to hiking and skiing)
Sounds more like sciatic nerve irritation than anchors dislodging. I wouldn’t freak out about this. Everything around the hip joint is weak and likely swollen, a perfect situation for the sciatic nerve to get clamped and shoot pain down the leg.
Dan,
I just had my right hip done to repair a labrum tear and burr my femur to reduce future damage. I am supposed to have my left hip done in 4 weeks. I have a trip planned for Europe mid September. When I talked to my doctor, he said I’ll get tired and won’t be able to walk nonstop all day but I’ll still be able to do the trip. What do you think? Based off of some of these responses I’m worried that I won’t be able to enjoy my trip.
That is cutting the timeline awfully short Jonathan. Some people do get around quite well after these surgeries, but I would always err on the conservative side. Only having 6 weeks or so between your next surgery and walking all over Europe in my humble opinion is not a fantastic idea. Could you wait on the 2nd surgery until after the trip? I would maybe ask your PT about this. An “in person” assessment would probably be best.
I had hip arthroscopy 6 weeks ago for labrum debridement, acetabular rim recession. Small medial labral tear. Quite a bit of clean up in the hip. I had been recovering well, down to 1 crutch and sometimes able to not use all. Then out of nowhere 3 days ago I couldn’t put any weight on that leg, the pain in groin and hip is unbearable. I am now having to use 2 crutches as just cannot walk. I have been to hospital- fracture and dislocation ruled out, so what is the problem ?
That is tough to say, but in my experience these types of things tend to happen with a sudden increase in weight bearing or activity when the strength around the joint is not yet sufficient to take the weight.
Hello,
I had hip arthroscopy in February to repair a Labral tear. I’m still in pain daily deep in my joint, the outer side of my hip (bursa/greater trochanter area) and have limited range of movement in my left leg, I cannot climb stairs, put on my shoe or walk or sit without pain. I toss and turn at night and get little sleep. I now have lower back pain along with sciatic pain that goes down to my knee.
I saw my hip surgeon who referred me to a back specialist because he thought it may be a pinched nerve. I made an appointment and met with the back Dr, after an exam in the office along with an xray, he diagnosed me with mild scoliosis and a herniated disk with Radiculopathy. He recommended PT for 4 weeks then a follow up visit. With no relief at the end of the 4 weeks an MRI of my lumbar spine was performed. The MRI showed no herniated disk or pinched nerve, so the back specialist said I should go back to see my ortho because it could possibly be my IT band. At this point I’m very frustrated because I’m almost 6 months post op and I’m still having the same pains I did prior to the surgery. Any ideas?
If your MRI is clear, and the surgery anchors held well and healed into place, this is most likely a mechanical issue. I would call around and find the best, most experienced PT in your area who treats hips on a regular basis and have a fresh set of eyes look at how you move etc.. Please realize also that lots of people who have this type of surgery do not have maximal improvement until up to a year after the surgery. Hang in there.
First, thank you for providing such informative comments! I had labral repair/impingement surgery on April 11th and have been discouraged with my progress. Prior to surgery, I had deep hip/groin pain following any sort of exercise, but was generally pain free if I rested (pain had gone on for about 15 months). I wanted to maintain an active lifestyle (37 year old female runner) and had the surgery in hopes of eliminating pain, but now I am sore most of the day, regardless of activity. I worked with a pt (who was very experienced with hip patients) up until a week ago when I had a cortisone injection. My surgeon’s theory is that the pain is caused by inflammation so I’m also on Duexis (800 mg three times/day) as an anti-inflammatory. In addition to the deep ache in my joint I also have sharp pains when I move certain ways – if I lift my leg too high or twist too far. Also, I still have a large patch of numb skin above my knee. It is numb to the touch but also feels bruised at times. I have been assured it will go return to normal but everyone does seem surprised that it has lasted this long. Is all of this still “normal” 3 1/2 months post -surgery? I really appreciate your input!
Many, many post-op labral repairs do not “turn the corner” until at least six months. This is still relatively early in the process. The weakness in the surrounding hip muscles makes it difficult for the head of the femur to be controlled, this can make it tricky for the inflammation to subside. My advice to you would be to allow for at least 1-2 days of rest in between exercise sessions. I would probably also just stick to the simple motions that the PT showed you for the time being.
Thank you very much for replying so quickly. I will continue to work on strengthening and also give it time.
I had hip arthroscopy yesterday. Labral repair that required four anchors, resurfacing of the femoral head and acetabulum, and removal of a loose body. Earlier today I was positioning myself to get into a chair, and I accidentally put all of my weight on my surgical leg for a step. Should I be worried that I re-tore my labrum or did some other damage from that one step?
Probably not, but I wouldn’t make a habit of that. The more likely result is inflammation.
Gotcha, thanks for the quick response. I had two surgeries on my other hip, so I think my old muscle memory kicked in for a moment last night.
Hello Dan!
I just had my left hip repaired, torn from the 12-4 o’clock. It seems Canadian guidelines are more strict at four weeks non-weight bearing, with the first two weeks flat on my back. August 8th was the surgery and they didn’t write me back to work until September 23rd. I also need my second hip done, and they said it’s at least six to nine months out from my left hip surgery date of August 8th.
My question is, when does the foot on my surgical leg stop getting purple and swollen when I’m up crutching around? Also my groin is still numb from surgery.
I’m doing daily tummy time, buttocks squeezes, toe pointing and leg hang as per PT. But PT says physio won’t start until second week. Those above exercises I do at home.
I’m a 31 year old very active female.
Thank you for your time!
Ashley:)
That may take a few months for the swelling in the leg to go down, and it is a bit variable depending on the individual. You could request a compression sock from the doc, that should help with venous return in the lower leg.