Forums >Health and Nutrition>Torn Hip Labrum - advice, recovery and experiences
Hip Redux
It did. It's not perfect but it's a hell of a lot better. The groin pain is pretty much gone and the butt pain has improved dramatically. Last night my hip flexor was pretty tight so I didn't do anything. The hip flexor is pissing me off. lol
Good! (well not the hip flexor part lol)
Oooooh, that's rough. So how do they do the arthrogram for you if you are allergic?
Im allergic to contrast dye not the gadolinium that they inject into the joint space. The contrast dye they wanted to use to confirm they were in the joint space and the radiologists said she could do it without the contrast dye. But now that I have moved I hope it won't be problematic to have a new radiologist conduct the procedure. Ugh. Im just afraid that I have reinjured it. Been depressed about it every since I hurt it again because the pain hasn't gone away in the groin and hip flexer area.
Ortho pretty much confirmed all signs point to a torn labrum on the left side as well. MRA scheduled for the 30th. Anyone else here been a double member of the club?
Oh no Oski! I'm sorry to hear that. The doctors actually told me my pelvis is "unique" because my hip sockets are completely different. Which I guess is good but also bad. My left one doesn't bother me but has dysplasia issues so if it does ever hurt me it would be more of an osteotomy type fix. The doctor who did my scope on my right side told me that he's seen a lot worse looking hips that don't cause issues. So fingers crossed it doesn't ever hurt me. But good luck on your MRA!
Lush Extraordinaire
Crap. I'm sorry.
5k - 23:30
10k - 49:00
Half - 1:48:34
Full - 4:01:28
Working toward hip nirvana.
Oh - and the doc said "At least you only have two hips, can't go through this a third time." So you know you have crappy luck when not having a third hip is your silver lining LOL
lmao that's terrible and hilarious. I asked the doc about my left hip going through the same thing and he said "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Positive words, doc. Thanks. lol Not if. But when.
That stinks, Oksi--so sorry
My doc noted impingement and what he thought was a small labral tear (from the MRA) in the other hip at my first visit. At the last follow-up, I told him I didn't want to mess with it unless it becomes more symptomatic and he said he would normally wait 6 months between hips anyway. I'm just hoping it doesn't start bothering me anytime soon.
Yesterday, a sports med doc talked to my running club about injury prevention and he made the comment that he used to be a runner until he had a hip injury. I made the mistake of asking him what kind of hip injury. Yep, same thing When he saw the look on my face, he was quick to add that it was a personal choice to stop running. Haha--true sports med doc...
There's a PT in the office I go to that had the surgery and opted to not run again. I suppose everyone has their own way of handling the risks and rewards.
I did a 6.5 mile hike today and only towards the end of it was my hip having any issues. And this was after a 4 mile trail run yesterday. So then I'm thinking - would I really consider surgery at this point? The orthos comment was that I had cartilage delamination last time that was not showing on the MRA and I wasn't have enough pain to know that was occurring - if that's the case again (and we don't know it), it's better to get there and fix that because that is the start down the arthritis/hip replacement pathway. I wish there were more definitives with this stupid surgery.
Well, looks like I'm about to be an official part of the club. Have already combed through this thread to try to learn from everyone's experiences and manage my own unrealistic expectations about recovery. Definitely appreciate the great resource you guys are!
Quick background: have CAM deformity and torn labrum on right hip. Tore it July 2014 when racing a half marathon. When the post-race "crusties" didn't go away after a week, I sought out a PT in town to get checked out and analyze running gait. He reduced my running to only easy miles, 5 miles at a time, 4x week, gave me some exercises to strengthen hip (pain was on outside at time, so didn't suspect labral tear just yet). Also put me in an orthotic to help address posterior tibial tendonitis I'd been having on/off. Well, about 5 weeks later, my hip was starting to feel a little better, but I developed a metatarsal stress fracture (due to the stupid orthotic) and was completely out for 6 weeks. After 6 weeks of complete rest and some manual therapy, the hip felt even better. Ditched that PT, and started a return to run program in hopes of being ready for Boston. It took forever to build my base back up, and wasn't really even back to 40 miles when I had to start Boston training. As I continued to ramp mileage up and incorporate some very limited tempo work (mostly just marathon pace miles), the hip started to hurt again. I tried ART and it only got worse. Pain moved from outside to groin (stabbing at times). But for the most part, if I could make it through the first 6-7 miles, the hip felt better toward the end of my long runs.
I went to a new PT that specialized in ortho and he immediately pegged it as a labral tear. He told me the goal would be to get me through Boston, and THEN get the MRI. He knew the diagnosis wasn't going to stop me from running it, and figured it would only mess with my head. (And it totally would've!). Anyway, got the MRI in early May, and it's exactly as he predicted.
Due to insurance issues, I had to switch surgeons mid stream. The original surgeon has a patient population that is almost entirely sports focused (soccer/ running, etc.). He told me I could begin to "return to sport" as early as 9 weeks post op. My new surgeon, though I trust his skills entirely, is much more conservative. He told me 3 months before I begin a conditioning/ strengthening, and 6 months until I return to running! He did say that was worst case and he was managing expectations.....but that was a huge blow to hear. I'm curious what your surgeons said about return to running, as well as time on crutches. Also would love to hear how long it actually was before you returned to running and built back your previous base (whatever it was). I have surgery scheduled late September, and really would like to run / race by next summer fall. Thanks!
Jo
My surgeon is a sports medicine doc and, according to my PT, has the most conservative protocols of most of the docs in the area (Columbus, OH). I was on two crutches for 5 weeks and one crutch for one week. Not allowed to drive until I was off crutches. Doc said I could start some impact work at 4 months but no real running for 6 months. August 4 is 16 weeks and you better believe I'm going to claim it as 4 months--lol. I have been walking and trying to slowly get that mileage up, but my form suffers and I start limping when I get tired/sore. I'm almost up to 3 miles now, which is good since I have a 5K next Saturday I'll be walking it but at least I'll be able to do that.
I was on crutches but weight bearing allowed for 4 weeks. The protocol allows patients to start running at 4 months, but I wasn't ready. It was probably closer to the 6 month mark before I started running 2-3x/week. And it was probably a year before the hip didn't get super cranky and achy after. I am now over 1 year and my surgery hip is pretty solid running - almost never deal with anything more than a minor ache.
Re: Size of hip labral tear
Interested to get some feedback on this. I just had my MRA, and the report states the labrum is torn from 10 o'clock to 1 o'clock (imagine a clock face, where 9 o'clock is the anterior position).
I am a physiotherapist and am well used to seeing shoulder labral tears described in this manner, but I have never seen a hip labral tear described like this. I interpret that description as 25% of the labrum is torn. How does thes size of my tear stack up to everybody elses out there? Is this big, small, or about average?
Back story - I have a rather large CAM lesion, which has has pretty much smashed the labrum to bits during 20 years of high impact sports. I took up running 10 years ago and have completed 9 marathons (PB 3:07). Funnily enough the hip only became really symptomatic in the last 18 months or so after I took up road cycling (which I started doing after a knee arthroscopy).
Cheers
My doc said mine was from 12 o'clock to 3 - it was all towards the front of the hip.
My MRA report just characterized it as a "small tear of the anterosuperior labrum" but when the doc went in to fix it, he had to use 3 anchors. Hard to tell for sure how bad it is until they get in there to fix it.