About Hip Pain and Hip Arthroscopy

Professional athletes, recreational athletes, dancers, runners and many other young and active individuals commonly experience hip pain secondary to labral tears. Hip pain can be brought on gradually from a mechanical dysfunction or repetitive movement or can occur as a result of a trauma to the hip, like a sporting injury, fall or car accident. Common symptoms are deep groin and side pain, pain after sitting for long periods of time, catching or clicking in the hip joint, stiffness and limited range of motion in the hip joint, pain in the buttocks and low back, and pain that gets worse with increased activity.

In many instances, labral tears are caused by a condition known as femoroacetabular impingement, or FAI. The diagnosis of FAI is confirmed with X-rays. An MRI or MRI arthrogram can assess the condition of the labrum and joint cartilage.

Help is available if you have FAI – learn more about your treatment options.

Toward the middle of my Junior season, I fractured my hip socket, and tore my labrum, and played the rest of the season and playoffs. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it through another off season of training and full game schedule if I did nothing about it. So my family and I sought out the best hip surgeon we could find. Through our research with elite runners and athletes, we found Dr. Tom Ellis. Unfortunately, the surgery that I required was going to take 6-8 months of recovery time, which meant that I might miss my senior season. Despite it being a two and a half hour drive to get to the office of Dr. Ellis, I knew I was seeing the best, and boy were the long drives worth it. Dr. Ellis and his team communicated with my parents and I about every step of the process. I know he had other patients, but I felt like I was the only one. They were able to work around my schedule as a busy Junior/Senior and we did virtual sessions to accommodate the two and a half hour distance. I did exactly what Dave Kholrieser told me to do and despite some twists and turns in my recovery; I was back on the field by game three. We are in the middle of a playoff run and I have committed to play college football at Denison University. Without Dr. Tom Ellis and Dave's help, I don't know where I'd be today.

Tom Frye

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After many years of right hip pain, I noticed a decline in my mobility when I began falling while performing everyday activities like mowing the grass or going on a walk. My doctor recommended physical therapy, which did not help. I then sought the advice of an orthopedic specialist who gave me a cortisone injection. Unfortunately, this did not provide any relief either. Eventually, I ended up having an MRI to examine my hip and was told that a full tear in my gluteus minimus had been the source of my pain for all these years! The orthopedic specialist advised that the tear could not be fixed and that I would need to rely on a cane for the rest of my life. At 62 years old, this was not an acceptable answer to me, so I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Thomas Ellis at Orthopedic ONE for a second opinion. After a successful surgical repair on Feb 13, 2017, my recovery is right on schedule according to Dr Ellis, Tiffany his Physician Assistant and Dave Kohlrieser my Physical Therapist. After years of restless nights, I can now sleep soundly without pain. In addition to my physical therapy sessions, walking in the pool at the Grove City YMCA has been a great way to build strength in my leg. I hope to give up my cane within the next few weeks and ride my bicycle by the end of the summer!

Thanks to Dr Ellis and the staff at Orthopedic ONE for giving me my active life back!!

Monica Walter

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