Understanding Your Hip

Clear information about hip injuries, labral tears, osteoarthritis, and treatment options — written for patients.

Anatomy

How Does the Hip Work?

⚙️

Ball & Socket

The Body's Largest Joint

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint — the femoral head (ball) fits into the acetabulum (socket). This design allows wide range of motion while bearing full body weight.

🔵

Labrum

The Sealing Ring

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that deepens the hip socket, creates suction to hold the joint stable, and cushions the joint. Tears are common in young athletes and active adults.

💪

Muscles

Powerful Movers

The gluteal muscles, hip flexors, adductors, and external rotators all work together to move and stabilize the hip. Imbalances in these muscles often contribute to hip pain.

🦷

Cartilage

The Smooth Surface

Articular cartilage covers the femoral head and acetabulum, allowing smooth, frictionless movement. Damage to this cartilage leads to osteoarthritis over time.

Common conditions

What Could Be Wrong?

🔄

Hip Labral Tear

Tears in the labrum cause groin pain, clicking, locking, and reduced range of motion. Common in dancers, hockey players, and those with FAI (femoroacetabular impingement).

⚡

Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

Abnormal bone growth on the femoral head (cam), acetabular rim (pincer), or both causes painful pinching of the labrum and cartilage during hip movement.

🦿

Hip Osteoarthritis

Gradual cartilage breakdown causes deep groin pain, stiffness (especially in the morning), and difficulty with walking or putting on shoes. Most common after age 50.

🏃

Hip Flexor / Groin Strain

Sudden acceleration or kicking movements can strain the hip flexor or adductor muscles. Common in sprinters and football players, causing sharp anterior hip or groin pain.

Treatment

Your Treatment Journey

Diagnosis: MRI & Clinical Examination

Hip pathology is diagnosed through physical examination and MRI (often with arthrogram contrast to better visualize the labrum). X-rays help assess bone shape and joint space.

Physiotherapy First

Most hip conditions are initially managed with targeted physiotherapy — strengthening the glutes, core, and hip stabilizers — combined with activity modification and anti-inflammatories.

Hip Arthroscopy (Keyhole Surgery)

For labral tears and FAI, hip arthroscopy allows the surgeon to repair the labrum, reshape bone, and remove impinging tissue through small incisions, with minimal recovery time.

Hip Replacement (Arthroplasty)

For advanced osteoarthritis, total hip replacement replaces the damaged joint with a prosthesis. Modern implants last 20+ years and allow return to most daily activities and low-impact sports.

Rehabilitation

Recovery after hip arthroscopy is typically 4–6 months. After hip replacement, most patients walk independently within days and return to full activity within 3–6 months.

FAQ

Your Questions, Answered

Not always. Groin pain can come from the hip joint, adductor muscles, inguinal hernia, or even referred pain from the lumbar spine. A thorough clinical examination is essential to identify the true source.

The labrum has limited blood supply and generally does not heal on its own. However, many patients manage symptoms successfully with physiotherapy without needing surgery. Surgery is considered when conservative treatment fails.

Most patients return to low-impact activities like cycling and swimming within 3 months. Higher-impact activities are generally possible after 6 months. High-impact sports like running are possible but should be discussed with your surgeon.

Our Hip Study Group runs international multicenter research on labral reconstruction outcomes, cartilage predictors, and AI-based MRI analysis for hip osteoarthritis. Results will help surgeons make better decisions for patients worldwide.

Questions about your hip?

Connect with a Sporthopedia participating surgeon or learn about our international hip research studies.