Sport Injuries: MRIs of hips of hockey players show abnormalities in 70% - are they clinically significant?

A study included M.R.I.’s of the hips of 21 professional hockey players and 21 college players. They showed abnormalities in 70 percent of the athletes, even though these hockey players had no pain or only minimal discomfort that did not affect their playing. More than half had labral tears, rips in the cartilage that stabilizes the hip.

“M.R.I.’s are so sensitive,” Dr. Musahl said. “They frequently show little tears or fraying everywhere. And it is very, very common to have a small labral tear in your hip — it doesn’t mean you have to have the particular symptoms.”

References:
Personal Best - Sports Injuries - Go to a Doctor or Tough It Out? NYTimes.com.

A Young Man with Hip Pain due to Piriformis Syndrome

Image source: X-rays (not MRIs), Edheads.org.