There are a variety of causes that can contribute to a labral injury, including trauma from a fall or motor vehicle accident, pinching in the hip between the pelvic bone and femur, and excessive force on the joint.
One common mechanism of injury for a hip labral tear is an overwhelming rotational force.
This typically occurs in athletes that perform repetitive motions such as kicking, jumping, or even a golf swing. Injury can occur acutely or across a long span of time in a degenerative fashion. Muscular imbalances can also be a culprit in the development of labral tears. Often, weakness is present in the gluteal muscles, and over time these imbalances can lead to improper load distribution on the hip joint and labrum.
Those most at risk for developing labral tears are athletes, elders, and overweight or obese patients. Athletes are subject to traumatic sports injuries and repetitive microtrauma, thus increasing their susceptibility to hip injuries. Elders are at risk due to developing weaknesses and degeneration that occurs in the strong tissues that make up the hip joint. People that are overweight or obese place excess load and stress on the hip joints, which can expedite degeneration and overload the hip structure.