Purpose: A prospective investigation to define the syndrome associated with symptomatic labral tears definitively diagnosed at hip arthroscopy.

Methods: 66 consecutive patients that had an arthroscopically documented labral tear were evaluated. Demographics, symptomatology, examination, previous treatments, functional limitations, were assessed prospectively. Onset/duration of symptoms to diagnosis of tears, other diagnoses offered by healthcare providers, and non-labral procedures that patients had undergone for the symptoms were analyzed. Radiographic abnormalities and MR arthrography findings were recorded.

Results: There were 47 female and 19 male patients with a mean age of 38 years. Initial presentation: insidious in 61%, acute injury in 30%, and trauma in 9% hips. Moderate to severe pain occurred in 86% of patients, with groin pain predominating (92%). Fifty three percent had true mechanical symptoms - catching/locking. Walking, pivoting, impact activity aggravated patient symptoms (p< 0.05). Pain was characterized as a combination of dull aching pain with intermittent episodes of sharp pain in 70%(p=0.001). Pain was frequently activity related (p< 0.05) and night pain occurred in 71% of patients (p=0.0006). The majority of patients (98%) with a labral tear reported being active/athletic. On examination 39% patients had a limp, 38% a positive Trendelenburg sign, and 95% a positive impingement sign. The mean time to diagnosis of labral tear from the onset of symptoms was 21 months. A mean of 3.3 healthcare providers were seen prior to a definitive diagnosis. Surgery on another anatomic site was recommended in 11 patients and 4 of these underwent an unsuccessful surgery prior to diagnosis of the labral tear. Radiographic data indicated that 38% of hips had an underlying structural abnormality consistent with mild development dysplasia or anterior femoroacetabular impingement. Preoperative MRA detected 73% of the labral tears.

Conclusions: The clinical presentation of a labral tear may vary, with duration of symptoms often greater than 12 months prior to diagnosis. In young, active patients with a predominant complaint of groin pain with or without a history of trauma, the diagnosis of a labral tear should be suspected, and investigated, as radiographs and history may be nonspecific for this diagnosis.