Hip Labral Tear Surgery: Arthroscopy and More

A hip labral tear is a scenario in which the ring of cartilage that follows the outside rim of your hip joint gets torn. The name of that ring of cartilage is the labrum. This injury can cause pain and instability in your hip, as well as subsequently cause damage later on to the rest of the cartilage in the hip joint. 

This doesn’t usually just heal on its own, which is why you may need a hip labral tear surgery. You can do a lot to manage symptoms, but even this is the case only with minor tears. There are a lot of anti-inflammatory medications that you can use in order to make the pain manageable, however, this is not a cure and it’s not an end solution.

Still, a labral tear surgery can mean a number of things. With that in mind and without further ado, here are several things you need to know about different types of labral tear hip surgeries.

Hip Arthroscopy

One of the least invasive ways to repair your torn labrum is to proceed with arthroscopic surgery in order to fix your torn hip labrum.

The arthroscopy itself represents the examination of the interior of a joint with the use of a fiber-optic scope. This tiny camera is slowly pushed into the joint and it provides the surgeon with more insight into an injury.

Most importantly, this means that the surgeon doesn’t have to make a large incision. They can see it via a monitor connected to the inserted camera. Now, with the help of specially-designed arthroscopic tools, these procedures are kept minimally invasive.

The concept of arthroscopic hip surgery of labral tear has existed since the 1990s (or even the 1980s) but the nature of the procedure in the past just cannot be compared to what it looks like today. According to specialist hip labral tear surgery doctors, this is the simplest and quickest way for you to get back to doing what you love the most.

Total Hip Replacement

There are some factors that may further complicate your condition. For instance, while a labral tear may happen to anybody when it happens to a person with hip osteoarthritis, the situation is far more complicated. In this particular scenario, your best option may be to replace the hip with artificial parts. Of course, with the help of new technologies and medical science breakthroughs, minimally-invasive total hip replacement can provide significant benefits over traditional methods.

Total hip replacement surgery has the potential to improve the quality of life by alleviating pain, restoring function to your hip, and provide you with an improved range of motion (which is a privilege that you may have forgotten already).

To perform a  total hip replacement, ideally, spinal anesthesia will be utilized. An incision will be made to access the joint, the femoral head will be removed and the prosthetic cup and stem will be placed appropriately. Pain medications will then be injected around the surrounding tissue for anesthetic. 

Now, the last thing worth keeping in mind is that, due to 3D printing, robotics, and advancements in prosthetic manufacturing, in general, modern prosthetics are far superior to their predecessors and their lifespan, durability have vastly improved.

Recovery from Hip Labral Tear Surgery 

Generally, hip arthroscopy is an outpatient procedure. A brace will be required for a couple of weeks following hip arthroscopy surgery. Depending on how much work is required to reconstruct the joint, weight bearing will be limited with crutches for 6-12 weeks and it will take up to 3-6 months for a full recovery. 

For a hip replacement, patients can immediately bear weight following surgery. Mobility and ambulation are encouraged for most patients. Surgery is generally outpatient or 1 single night stay. his eliminates one of the biggest concerns that a lot of people have about hip labral tear surgery. Depending on the patient, a walker or cane may be recommended for your total hip replacement recovery. 

Wrap Up

In the end, it’s important that you go to a medical professional and get a diagnosis. Before you see exactly what you’re dealing with, it will be impossible to come up with a treatment plan. Now, a hip labral tear surgery can come in several different shapes and forms. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to get the best result with something as non-invasive as arthroscopic surgery. If not, well… you should always focus on your subsequent quality of life and prospects of full recovery.

Before making any rash decisions, nonetheless, it would be best to consult with an expert hip specialist at the Orthopedic Institute of NJ and get their professional opinion.