In Kenya, labral Tear (Hip) is managed by sports medicines. A hip labral tear is a structural injury of the acetabular labrum, the fibrocartilaginous rim that seals the femoral head inside the hip socket and provides roughly 22% of the joint's articular surface area. MRI studies of asymptomatic adults show labral abnormalities in 38-69% of hips by age 40, but tears become symptomatic when paired with bony impingement, dysplasia, or athletic loading.
aliases · Hip Labral Tear (acetabular labrum tear)· Acetabular labral tear· Hip labrum injury· FAI-related labral tear· reviewed May 14, 2026
EB
Reviewed by AIHealz Medical Editorial Board · Sports MedicineLast reviewed May 13, 2026
A hip labral tear (ICD-10: S73.191A acute; M24.85 chronic) is a partial or complete disruption of the acetabular labrum, a triangular ring of dense fibrocartilage attached to the bony rim of the acetabulum. The labrum extends socket depth, maintains negative intra-articular pressure (the suction-seal effect), distributes synovial fluid for cartilage nutrition, and resists femoral head subluxation. Tears are classified by location (anterosuperior most common at 80-95%, then posterior), morphology (fraying, radial flap, longitudinal peripheral, unstable bucket-handle), and etiology (femoroacetabular impingement, dysplasia, trauma, capsular laxity, degeneration). The anterosuperior labrum is the workhorse region during hip flexion and internal rotation; cam-type femoroacetabular impingement progressively shears this segment with each pivot.
key facts
Prevalence
MRI prevalence of labral abnormalities 38-69% in asymptomatic adults over 40 (Register 2012); symptomatic prevalence estimated 1-2% of general adult population
Demographics
Female-to-male ratio approximately 2:1 in surgical series; bimodal incidence peaks at 20-30 years (athletes) and 40-55 years (degenerative)
Avg. age
Mean age at hip arthroscopy 28-35 years in athletic populations; 45-55 years for degenerative tears
Global cases
Hip arthroscopy volumes have grown 25-fold in the US between 1999 and 2017, exceeding 70,000 procedures per year (JBJS 2019)
Specialist
Sports Medicine
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How you might notice it
The key symptoms of Labral Tear (Hip) are: Deep, anterior groin pain that the patient often localizes by cupping the hip with the thumb anteriorly and the fingers over the greater trochanter — the classic C-sign — and which worsens with prolonged sitting, driving, or pivoting., Mechanical clicking, catching, locking, or a sensation of the hip giving way during rotation, climbing stairs, or rising from a low chair, present in 50-70% of patients with confirmed tears., Sharp pain reproduced by hip flexion to 90 degrees combined with adduction and internal rotation — the anterior impingement (FADIR) maneuver., Lateral hip and buttock pain referred along the trochanter and into the proximal posterior thigh, often misattributed to trochanteric bursitis., Stiffness and pain after long periods of inactivity, with patients reporting they have to walk off the hip for the first 5-10 minutes in the morning., Limited squat depth, inability to sit cross-legged comfortably, and pain getting in and out of a car — daily activities that load the hip in flexion and rotation., Symptoms aggravated by impact loading (running, jumping, cutting sports) and partially relieved by rest; persistence of mild groin ache between training sessions..
01Deep, anterior groin pain that the patient often localizes by cupping the hip with the thumb anteriorly and the fingers over the greater trochanter — the classic C-sign — and which worsens with prolonged sitting, driving, or pivoting.
02Mechanical clicking, catching, locking, or a sensation of the hip giving way during rotation, climbing stairs, or rising from a low chair, present in 50-70% of patients with confirmed tears.
03Sharp pain reproduced by hip flexion to 90 degrees combined with adduction and internal rotation — the anterior impingement (FADIR) maneuver.
§ 03
How it’s diagnosed
diagnosis
Diagnosis combines history, provocative physical examination, plain radiographs to assess bony morphology, and MRI arthrography for direct visualization of the labrum. History elicits the C-sign, mechanical symptoms, sport or work demands, and prior trauma. Examination focuses on hip range of motion (loss of internal rotation at 90 degrees flexion is the single most sensitive finding for FAI-associated tears) and provocative tests — the FADIR (Flexion-Adduction-Internal-Rotation) maneuver has sensitivity above 85% but specificity below 50%, while the FABER (Flexion-Abduction-External-Rotation) and posterior impingement tests help localize. Plain anteroposterior pelvis and Dunn lateral radiographs assess cam morphology (alpha angle >55 degrees), pincer morphology (cross-over sign, lateral center-edge angle >40), and dysplasia (LCEA <25). MR arthrography with intra-articular gadolinium is the imaging gold standard with sensitivity 80-90% and specificity 50-90% for labral tears, far higher than non-arthrographic MRI. A diagnostic intra-articular anesthetic injection (lidocaine ± steroid) is decisive when imaging is equivocal: pain relief above 50% confirms intra-articular origin. Direct arthroscopic visualization remains the definitive reference standard but is not used for diagnosis alone. Differential diagnosis must exclude lumbar radiculopathy, athletic pubalgia (sports hernia), iliopsoas tendinopathy, adductor strain, trochanteric bursitis, and stress fracture of the femoral neck.
Key tests
01
Standing AP pelvis and Dunn lateral hip radiographsIdentifies cam morphology, pincer overcoverage, dysplasia, joint-space narrowing, and incidental tumors
02
MR arthrogram with intra-articular gadoliniumDirect visualization of the labrum, articular cartilage, and capsule; identifies tear location, morphology, and adjacent chondral damage
✓Intra-articular corticosteroid injection (triamcinolone 40 mg or methylprednisolone 40 mg)
surgical options
Hip arthroscopy with labral repair and FAI correction (femoral osteochondroplasty ± acetabular rim trim, with capsular closure)Return to sport 75-85% at 24 months in athletes under 40; iHOT-33 improvement of 25-35 points at 2 years; 10-year survivorship free of conversion to arthroplasty 75-85%
Arthroscopic labral debridement (selective)Symptomatic relief in 60-70% at 2 years but inferior long-term durability versus repair; faster progression to osteoarthritis
Labral reconstruction with autograft or allograftiHOT-33 improvement comparable to repair in selected revision cases; conversion to arthroplasty 8-12% at 5 years
Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO)Hip survivorship without arthroplasty 70-85% at 15 years in adults under 40; substantial improvement in mWOMAC and UCLA activity scores
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Causes & risk factors
known causes
Femoroacetabular impingement (cam, pincer, or mixed)
Bony abnormality at the femoral head-neck junction (cam) or acetabular rim overcoverage (pincer) drives repetitive shear at the anterosuperior labrum during hip flexion and internal rotation. FAI morphology is present in 50-70% of patients undergoing labral repair and is the dominant etiology in adults under 40.
Acetabular dysplasia
A shallow or under-covered acetabulum (lateral center-edge angle below 25 degrees) transfers force to a hypertrophied labrum that bears load it was not designed to carry. The labrum eventually fails as a bucket-handle or peripheral tear. Isolated labral repair without correcting dysplasia has high failure rates.
Trauma
Direct fall on the hip, posterior dislocation from a dashboard injury, pivoting injuries in contact sports (American football, rugby, soccer), or hip subluxation in ballet and gymnastics can produce clean tears. Posterior tears are over-represented in trauma compared to FAI.
Repetitive end-range hip motion
Sports and occupations that demand extreme rotation or flexion — ballet, gymnastics, ice hockey goaltending, martial arts kicking, golf, soccer — generate cumulative microtrauma even in normal-shaped hips. Female ballet dancers show labral pathology rates above 50% on MRI screening.
Generalized ligamentous laxity and capsular insufficiency
Beighton score above 4 or connective-tissue conditions (Ehlers-Danlos, Marfan) predispose to hip microinstability. Subtle anterior translation of the femoral head stresses the anterior labrum. Prior hip arthroscopy with unrepaired capsulotomy is another iatrogenic cause.
Degenerative wear
Age-related fibrocartilage degeneration produces fraying, thinning, and ossification of the labrum. By age 60 over 60% of MRIs show labral abnormalities. These tears usually coexist with chondral wear and progress to symptomatic osteoarthritis.
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Living with it
01Maintain hip mobility through dynamic warm-up before sport, particularly in flexion-rotation drills.
02Strengthen gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, and deep external rotators to support hip neuromotor control.
03Avoid forced end-range hip motion (ballistic stretching, deep squats below 90 degrees with poor form) in adolescents with closing growth plates, when cam morphology develops.
04Address asymmetric core and pelvic-floor weakness in pivoting athletes early.
05Manage body weight to within healthy BMI range — each unit of BMI above 25 increases joint reaction force during gait.
06Modify high-risk activities (deep squat occupations, ballistic golf swing positions) if early symptoms emerge.
recommended foods
•Omega-3 rich foods (oily fish, flaxseed, walnuts) which may modestly reduce joint inflammation
•Adequate protein intake (1.2-1.6 g/kg/day) during postoperative rehabilitation to support muscle recovery
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When to seek help
why see a sports medicine
Hip labral tears benefit from evaluation by a sports medicine or hip-preservation orthopedic surgeon experienced in hip arthroscopy, FAI assessment, and periacetabular osteotomy. Specialist referral is required when symptoms persist beyond 8-12 weeks of structured physical therapy, when imaging shows correctable bony morphology, or when mechanical symptoms (locking, true giving way) are present.
01Progression to symptomatic hip osteoarthritis — annual functional review and consideration of total hip arthroplasty when joint space narrows below 2 mm.
02Postoperative femoral neck stress fracture (under 1% but devastating) — driven by aggressive femoral osteochondroplasty in poor bone; managed with protected weight-bearing or fixation.
03Heterotopic ossification after hip arthroscopy (5-30% radiographic, 1-5% symptomatic) — prophylactic indomethacin 75 mg daily for 7 days reduces incidence.
04Iatrogenic chondral injury or labral suture pullout — diagnosed by persistent or recurrent mechanical symptoms; revision arthroscopy may be required.
05Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve neuropraxia from portal traction — typically transient (3-12 weeks).
Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) associated tearThe dominant mechanism in young adults. Cam (aspherical femoral head-neck junction) or pincer (overcoverage of the acetabulum) morphology produces repetitive impingement against the labrum during flexion and internal rotation, causing anterosuperior tearing and adjacent cartilage delamination over years.
Dysplasia-associated tearIn acetabular dysplasia the under-covered femoral head transfers excess load to the anterosuperior labrum, which hypertrophies and ultimately tears. These tears are commonly hypertrophied bucket-handle types and require correction of the underlying dysplasia (periacetabular osteotomy) rather than isolated arthroscopy.
Traumatic tearAcute injury from a direct fall on the hip, motor-vehicle posterior dislocation, pivoting injury, or hip subluxation in contact sport. Often a clean radial or peripheral longitudinal tear with adjacent chondral injury.
Degenerative tearWear pattern in middle-aged and older adults; the labrum becomes frayed, thinned, and ossified at the rim. These tears coexist with diffuse osteoarthritis and respond poorly to arthroscopy alone.
Capsular laxity / microinstability tearGeneralized ligamentous laxity, repetitive end-range external rotation (dance, gymnastics, golf), or prior capsulotomy can produce posterior or panlabral tears from subtle anterior femoral head translation.
Living with Labral Tear (Hip)
Timeline
After arthroscopic labral repair: crutches and partial weight-bearing 2-4 weeks; return to desk work in 7-14 days; pain-free walking by 6-8 weeks; stationary cycling at 4 weeks; running progression at 12-16 weeks; agility and cutting at 16-20 weeks; full return to sport by 4-6 months for non-cutting sports and 6-9 months for high-cutting sports. Conservative management improves over 8-12 weeks with structured therapy.
Lifestyle
01Replace running and cutting sports with cycling (seat height up), elliptical, or pool-based exercise during symptomatic phases.
02Use a lumbar pillow and avoid soft, low chairs; aim for hips slightly above knees when sitting.
03Stand and walk briefly every 30-45 minutes during desk work or long drives.
04Sleep with a pillow between the knees to neutralize hip rotation.
05Resume cutting and pivoting sports only after completing a sport-specific functional progression cleared by a sports physio.
06Use a hot pack before activity and ice after if there is post-activity soreness.
Daily management
01Perform prescribed home exercise program daily — 15-25 minutes of stabilizer and mobility work.
02
Complementary approaches
Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP)Used adjunctively in some sports medicine practices to delay surgery in younger athletes. RCT data are limited; modest short-term pain benefit reported.
Pilates and Feldenkrais movement retrainingMovement-quality programs that augment formal physical therapy by improving lumbopelvic control and reducing impingement-provoking patterns; observational benefit in dancers and golfers.
Choosing a doctor
Choose a fellowship-trained hip-preservation or sports-medicine orthopedic surgeon performing at least 50 hip arthroscopies annually. Ask about labral repair versus debridement rate (modern centers repair more than 85%), capsular closure technique, and indications for PAO over arthroscopy. Centers with a hip-preservation program offering both arthroscopy and open hip surgery provide the broadest options.
British Hip Society →UK specialty body with patient and surgeon guidance on hip preservation and arthroplasty.
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Frequently asked
What is a hip labral tear?▾▴
A hip labral tear is a structural injury to the acetabular labrum, a ring of fibrocartilage around the hip socket that seals the joint and provides stability. Tears most often occur at the anterosuperior labrum and produce deep groin pain, clicking, and catching, especially during pivoting or prolonged sitting.
What does a hip labral tear feel like?▾▴
Patients describe deep anterior groin pain, often demonstrating the C-sign by cupping the hip with thumb in front and fingers over the side. Pain worsens with prolonged sitting, driving, pivoting, and getting in and out of a car. Mechanical clicking, catching, or giving way is reported in 50-70% of confirmed tears.
How is a hip labral tear diagnosed?▾▴
Diagnosis combines history, FADIR provocative exam, plain radiographs (alpha angle, lateral center-edge angle), and MR arthrography with intra-articular gadolinium contrast. A diagnostic intra-articular anesthetic injection that produces >50% pain relief confirms an intra-articular pain source. Direct arthroscopy is the reference standard but used at the time of surgery.
Can a hip labral tear heal on its own?▾▴
The labrum has limited blood supply and most tears do not heal anatomically. However, 30-50% of FAI-related tears become asymptomatic with structured physical therapy and activity modification, achieving durable symptom control without surgery at 12-24 months in the FASHIoN and FIRST trials.
What is the success rate of hip labral repair?▾▴
Modern arthroscopic labral repair with FAI correction yields return to sport in 75-85% of athletes under 40 at 24 months, and 10-year survivorship free of total hip arthroplasty conversion of 75-85%. Outcomes are lower in patients over 50, with joint-space narrowing, or with BMI above 30.
How long is recovery after hip arthroscopy?▾▴
Crutches and partial weight-bearing for 2-4 weeks, desk work within 1-2 weeks, pain-free walking by 6-8 weeks, stationary cycling at 4 weeks, running at 12-16 weeks, and return to sport at 4-9 months depending on sport. Full recovery often takes 9-12 months.
Is hip labral tear surgery worth it?▾▴
In symptomatic FAI syndrome the UK FASHIoN trial showed arthroscopic surgery produced significant additional benefit over physical therapy at 12 months (mean iHOT-33 6.8 points higher, p<0.001). Surgery is most appropriate when conservative care fails, mechanical symptoms persist, joint space is preserved, and a diagnostic injection has been positive.
What happens if a labral tear is left untreated?▾▴
Untreated FAI-associated labral tears progress to articular cartilage damage and accelerated hip osteoarthritis over 5-15 years. Patients with dysplasia plus labral tear are at particular risk of rapid joint deterioration without bony correction (periacetabular osteotomy).
Can I run with a hip labral tear?▾▴
Running often worsens labral pain because of repetitive impact and hip flexion-rotation loading. Many patients can continue running pain-free at lower mileage with strengthening and form modifications, but cutting and pivoting sports usually require surgical correction in athletes who want full return to performance.
What is the difference between FAI and a hip labral tear?▾▴
FAI (femoroacetabular impingement) is the underlying bony morphology — cam or pincer abnormality — that produces repetitive contact between the femoral head-neck junction and the acetabular rim. A labral tear is the consequence of that contact over time. The two conditions usually coexist and are treated together at surgery.
Is a hip labral tear the same as hip osteoarthritis?▾▴
No. A labral tear is a focal structural injury to the fibrocartilaginous rim, while hip osteoarthritis is diffuse loss of articular cartilage across the joint. Untreated labral tears in FAI accelerate osteoarthritis, but they are distinct stages of disease with different treatment approaches.
Does physical therapy work for hip labral tears?▾▴
Yes for many patients. The UK FASHIoN trial showed personalized hip therapy improved mean iHOT-33 scores by 15-20 points at 8-12 months, with 40-50% of patients avoiding surgery at two years. Physical therapy targets gluteal strength, deep external rotators, core control, and motion re-education.
Can a labral tear cause back pain?▾▴
Yes. Limited hip motion forces compensatory lumbar movement during sitting, walking, and sport, and many labral tear patients present with combined hip-spine syndrome. Treating the labral tear often improves coexisting low-back pain, but persistent lumbar pathology may require independent assessment.
How long does an MRI of the hip take?▾▴
A standard hip MRI without contrast takes 30-40 minutes. MR arthrography adds 10-15 minutes for image-guided intra-articular gadolinium injection plus the MRI scan, total appointment 60-75 minutes. The arthrogram offers higher diagnostic accuracy for labral tears (sensitivity 80-90%).
What is the C-sign in hip pain?▾▴
The C-sign is the characteristic gesture patients with intra-articular hip pathology make to localize their pain: they cup the affected hip with the thumb posterior to the greater trochanter and the fingers extending into the anterior groin. It indicates deep, joint-line pain rather than superficial bursitis or muscle strain.
Can young athletes get labral tears?▾▴
Yes. Cam-type FAI develops during adolescent skeletal maturation, particularly in male athletes playing soccer, ice hockey, basketball, and American football. Symptomatic labral tears in elite young athletes are common and often present in the second or third decade with deep groin pain and mechanical symptoms.
Are hip labral tears more common in women?▾▴
Women comprise 55-75% of hip arthroscopy populations. Lower femoral neck-shaft angle, increased anteversion, higher rates of acetabular dysplasia, generalized joint laxity, and pincer morphology contribute. Female ballet dancers show labral abnormality rates above 50% on MRI screening.
What activities should I avoid with a hip labral tear?▾▴
Avoid deep hip flexion (deep squats below 90 degrees, sustained sitting in low chairs), pivoting and cutting sports, and forced end-range rotation. Replace running with cycling, elliptical, or swimming during symptomatic phases. Return to sport after a graded sport-specific progression cleared by a sports physiotherapist.
Will a steroid injection cure a labral tear?▾▴
No. Steroid injection does not heal the labrum; it temporarily reduces pain and inflammation, lasting 4-12 weeks in about half of patients. It is most useful diagnostically (lidocaine confirms intra-articular origin) and for managing flares while structured rehabilitation continues.
Can a labral tear cause hip dislocation?▾▴
Isolated labral tears rarely cause overt dislocation but can produce subtle microinstability with sensations of giving way, especially in patients with generalized ligamentous laxity. Frank dislocation requires significant trauma (motor-vehicle accident, sports collision) and is usually associated with chondral and labral injury together.
How much does hip arthroscopy cost?▾▴
In the United States, hip arthroscopy ranges from $15,000-$35,000 in total facility and surgeon charges when paying out-of-pocket, with most commercially insured patients having out-of-pocket costs of $1,500-$5,000. Costs in the UK NHS and most European public systems are fully covered for appropriate indications.
Can hip labral tears be prevented?▾▴
Cam morphology that drives most tears develops during adolescent growth and is partly inherited and partly activity-related. Avoiding excessive forced end-range hip motion during late adolescence may reduce risk in at-risk sports. Maintaining gluteal strength and core control reduces symptomatic onset in adults with FAI morphology.
Lateral hip and buttock pain referred along the trochanter and into the proximal posterior thigh, often misattributed to trochanteric bursitis.
05Stiffness and pain after long periods of inactivity, with patients reporting they have to walk off the hip for the first 5-10 minutes in the morning.
06Limited squat depth, inability to sit cross-legged comfortably, and pain getting in and out of a car — daily activities that load the hip in flexion and rotation.
07Symptoms aggravated by impact loading (running, jumping, cutting sports) and partially relieved by rest; persistence of mild groin ache between training sessions.
08Sensation of an audible or palpable pop with specific rotational movements, often reproducible on demand by the patient.
early warning signs
•Activity-related groin pain in a young athlete that resolves with rest but recurs reliably with sport — particularly in soccer, hockey, ballet, martial arts, and golf
•New difficulty sitting cross-legged on the floor or putting on socks and shoes
•Subtle catching or clicking in the hip without yet any pain, often reported during routine sport physicals
•Limited internal rotation of the affected hip at 90 degrees of flexion on exam (less than 20 degrees)
•Persistent unilateral hip stiffness in the morning lasting more than 15 minutes in an otherwise healthy adult under 40
● emergency signs
•Sudden inability to bear weight on the hip after a fall, motor-vehicle collision, or sports injury — exclude femoral neck fracture or posterior dislocation with urgent radiographs
•Acute severe hip pain with shortened, externally rotated lower limb — femoral neck fracture or hip dislocation
•Hip pain accompanied by fever, chills, and inability to tolerate any joint motion — exclude septic arthritis of the hip
•Progressive loss of sensation in the groin, perineum, or saddle distribution following trauma — exclude associated lumbosacral injury
•Hip pain with rapidly enlarging thigh mass, escalating night pain, or unintentional weight loss — exclude underlying bone or soft-tissue tumor
Confirms intra-articular source of pain when imaging is equivocal
04
FADIR and FABER provocative examinationReproduces impingement pain and assesses the anterior and posterior hip
05
Hip range-of-motion assessment with goniometerQuantifies loss of internal rotation at 90 degrees flexion and identifies dysplastic over-rotation
06
3D CT of the proximal femur and acetabulumPre-surgical planning of cam and pincer resection; quantifies femoral version and acetabular version
07
Diagnostic hip arthroscopyReference standard for confirming labral tear morphology, chondral status, and capsular integrity at the time of repair
Outlook
Outlook depends on age, joint space at presentation, the underlying morphology, and tissue quality at surgery. Athletes under 40 with preserved joint space, FAI-driven tears, and salvageable labral tissue achieve return-to-sport in 75-85% at two years after labral repair, with mean iHOT-33 improvements of 25-35 points. Ten-year survivorship free of conversion to total hip arthroplasty after primary arthroscopic labral repair and FAI correction is 75-85% in modern series. Patients with Tönnis grade 2 or worse at the time of arthroscopy, age above 50, or BMI above 30 have substantially lower outcomes and higher conversion rates to arthroplasty. Dysplastic hips treated with isolated arthroscopy without periacetabular osteotomy have early failure rates approaching 30-50%, while combined or staged PAO with labral repair produces durable outcomes. Most patients diagnosed early and managed appropriately maintain active recreational sport, though high-level professional careers in cutting sports are at risk when cam morphology is severe.
risk factors
Female sexnon-modifiable
Women constitute 55-75% of hip arthroscopy populations. Lower femoral neck-shaft angle, increased femoral anteversion, and higher rates of dysplasia and laxity all contribute to higher symptomatic tear rates.
High-demand pivoting sportmodifiable
Soccer, ice hockey, American football, rugby, basketball, lacrosse, ballet, gymnastics, golf, and martial arts impose repetitive flexion-rotation loads. Professional hockey players show cam morphology rates above 70% on imaging.
Cam or pincer femoroacetabular morphologygenetic
Inherited and developmental femoral head-neck and acetabular shape determine impingement risk. Cam morphology develops during skeletal maturation and is more common in males; pincer morphology is more common in females.
Acetabular dysplasiagenetic
Developmental dysplasia of the hip persists into adulthood in roughly 1-2% of the population. Lateral center-edge angle below 25 degrees predicts symptomatic labral failure.
Connective-tissue laxity allows microinstability and stresses the labrum. Patients with Ehlers-Danlos and similar conditions have higher labral-tear prevalence and lower surgical success rates.
Prior hip injury or subluxationmodifiable
Prior posterior hip dislocation or subluxation, even after radiographic reduction, carries a 30-60% risk of associated labral or chondral injury.
Age 30-50 yearsnon-modifiable
Bimodal symptomatic incidence: young athletes 20-30 years and middle-aged adults 40-55 years. Younger patients tear from FAI; older patients combine degenerative tears with early osteoarthritis.
•Vitamin D and calcium-rich foods (dairy, fortified plant milks, leafy greens) for bone health
Limit cumulative sitting to under 4 hours per day during symptomatic periods.
03Use ice 15-20 minutes after activity if soreness emerges.
04Track pain on a 0-10 scale and avoid activities that produce ≥3/10 pain during the rehab phase.
05Take NSAIDs only with food and water; discontinue if gastrointestinal symptoms develop.
06Attend physical therapy follow-up every 2-4 weeks during the first 12 weeks of conservative care.
Exercise
Cardiovascular fitness is maintained with low-impact options: stationary cycling with the seat slightly raised, elliptical, deep-water running, and swimming with a pull buoy (avoid breaststroke kick). Resistance training focuses on glute medius, glute maximus, deep external rotators, core, and quadriceps; avoid deep hip flexion exercises (deep squats, leg presses below 90, hip flexor loading) during acute flares. Sport-specific return follows a graded program over 4-6 months postoperatively for repair patients.