What do A-Rod and Lady Gaga Have in Common?

The Answer: They are both still recovering from labral tear surgery they underwent this past winter. 

The labrum is made of cartilage that lines the rim of the acetabulum of the ilium and provides shock absorption, stability, and nutrition to the joint, similar to the labrum of the shoulder. 

This injury is usually caused by abnormal and repeated internal rotation and or flexion of the hip and it is not coincidence that it has impacted hockey goalies Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Vesa Toskala. The tear can occur over time or by a sudden traumatic event. 

Other famous names who have suffered the same fate; Figure Skater Michelle Kwan and Golfer Gregg Norman. 

Why has this injury become so popular? It was often misdiagnosed as a groin pull and advances in MRI technology have helped to diagnose the problem. Symptoms include clicking and locking of the hip. 

It is not always a surgical problem and can be managed by Physical Therapy. 

How can PT help?

A therapist needs to asses the kinematics of the hip with its relationship to the innominate (1 side of the pelvis), sacrum and the spine will need to be addressed as well as the ability of force to be attenuated and dispersed by the lower extremities.