By Swimming World Correspondent G. John Mullen of SwimmingScience.net and CenterofOptimalRestoration.com

Cartilage Injury in Aquatic Athletes Hip injury diagnosis has increased over the past decade mainly due to improved diagnostic imaging. This isn’t to say there weren’t hip injuries before, but new imaging allows improved diagnostics, especially cartilaginous injuries.

The hip joint is lined with a line of cartilage, called the labrum. The labrum is essential for distributing joint pressure. Various areas of the labrum are thicker in cartilage, allowing the joint to perform multiple repetitions with minimal cartilage damage. However, when an athlete has improper muscle length, strength and timing, the pelvis and hip can lie in an improper position causing increased in joint pressure where there is less cartilage, increasing one’s risk for injury.

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Dr. G. John Mullen is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. At USC, he was a clinical research assistant at USC performing research on adolescent diabetes, lung adaptations to swimming, and swimming biomechanics. G. John has been featured in Swimming World Magazine, Swimmer Magazine, and the International Society of Swim Coaches Journal. He is currently the strength and conditioning coach at Santa Clara Swim Club, owner of the Center of Optimal Restoration and creator of Swimming Science.