Diagnosis

Your doctor will take a history of your discomfort. During the physical exam, your doctor will move your leg, and especially your hip joint, into various positions to check for pain and evaluate your hip's range of motion. He or she might also watch you walk.

Imaging scans

A hip labral tear rarely occurs in isolation. In most cases, other structures within the hip joint also have injuries. X-rays are excellent at visualizing bone. They can check for fractures and for structural abnormalities.

An MRI can provide detailed images of your hip's soft tissues. A contrast material might be injected into the hip joint space to make a labral tear easier to see.

Anesthesia injection

Hip pain can be caused by problems within the joint or outside the joint. Your doctor might suggest injecting an anesthetic into the joint space. If this relieves your pain, it's likely that your problem is inside your hip joint.