Ligamentum Teres Reconstruction

What is Ligamentum Teres Reconstruction?

Imagine stability… Most physicians will dismiss a patient who feels their hip is unstable, because it is believed that the ball and socket design of the hip joint is inherently stable. For some patients, the bony constraints of the hip joint are simply not enough, and the ball and cup do not stay together. The ball can subluxate or slide out of place. This feels like the hip gives way and patients do not trust their hip to pivot, twist or rotate. The Ligamentum Teres is the ligament or “rope-like” connection between the ball and the cup. It provides great stability to the hip joint and keeps the ball centered in the joint. I like to use the analogy that it is like a “seat belt” for the joint. Hip joints simply can be too loose and unstable for some patients. This can happen over time because their ligaments are loose, their cup is too shallow, or they had an injury that destabilized their hip. Ultimately, if the joint is unstable over an extended period of time, the labrum can tear, and the hip joint can become painful. In patients with significant hip instability, I can make a new Ligamentum Teres for them with a graft. I am very excited about the addition of this operation to my global hip arthroscopy product. The results have been incredible as patients are telling me that for the first time in their lives, they can trust their hip and that they finally understand what it means to have a stable hip joint.

My promise is to put absolutely everything I have into your operation to ensure the best outcome. My goal is to make your hip perfect and help you return to all you enjoy doing.

Labral Reconstruction

The Labral Reconstruction is simply a better operation than Labral Repair. With a repair, poor quality, chronically damaged tissue is sutured back to bone, but often does not completely heal and can still generate pain and limit function. With the labral reconstruction, I can arthroscopically reshape the ball and the cup so they can fit together properly. I then make a new labrum for you. This Labral Reconstruction has all of the biomechanical benefits of your native labrum, but it will not regenerate nerve fibers or feel pain as your torn labrum did. I have performed this operation since 2009 and have closely followed all of my patient's outcomes in a database. Over time, I have evolved the technique and improved the operation. I have lectured nationally and internationally on labral reconstruction, written numerous articles on this topic, and taught hundreds of Orthopaedic surgeons how to perform this operation. Simply put, experience matters. This is a very challenging operation and my results are not easily reproduced. I perform over 400 Labral Reconstructions per year and operate 4 days a week. This has made this operation reproducible and routine for me. This website is designed to help you better understand Labral Reconstruction and my approach to caring for patients. I look forward to the opportunity to get you back to all that you enjoy doing.

Over 5000 Labral Reconstructions Performed

Over 400 Labral Reconstructions Performed Annually

Over 150 Ligamentum Teres Reconstruction Performed Annually

Since 2012, Dr. White has performed Labral Reconstructions Exclusively for all of his Hip Arthroscopies

Dr. White has performed more Labral Reconstructions than anyone in the world

Download Patient's Guide to Ligamentum Teres Reconstruction of the Hip Presentation

Featured Presentations

Interview: Revision Surgery and Ligamentum Teres Reconstruction

Ligamentum Teres Reconstruction ISHA 2022

To view the collection of Dr. White’s presentations, visit the education section

Dr. White's Presentations

Published Studies

Dr. White's published studies

Lig Teres and Labral Reconstruction Case:

This paper summarizes a very complex operation that I performed where both the labrum and the ligamentum teres was reconstructed.

General Post-Op Instructions

Rehabilitation following surgery, in many instances, is as important as the surgery itself. It requires a commitment from the patient to make it a part of their daily routine. I believe that physical therapists and athletic trainers have an integral role in guiding and assisting patients through this process. I will work with both you and your therapist to ensure that your rehabilitation is appropriate and that you are progressing and improving, as you should.

Orthopaedic rehabilitation is always tailored to the individual patient’s goals and is affected by the type of surgery that was performed and intra-operative findings. The total duration for therapy and progression to return to full activity is always individualized. Please see these links for more information on therapy guidelines for specific surgeries

“Meeting Dr. White was life-changing. If I could tell anyone suffering from a labral tear one thing, it would be DON'T have surgery ANYWHERE else. I only wish I would've found him *before* I had 2 failed surgeries elsewhere. The procedure he does is above and beyond any other solution available. Massive bonus points: he's one of those (very) rare providers who has a genuine interest in and care for his patients personally- to resolve every aspect of the problem in order that we can return to a fully active life doing the things we enjoy doing with the people we love.”