Learn About the Injury Keeping Lysacek Out of the Sochi Olympics

Torn labrum will keep Evan Lysacek from competing in Sochi

Capital Games welcomes back Dr. Ray Solano, a chiropractor with a specialty in sports medicine who has been contributing posts about how injuries affect our teams.

The reigning Olympic figure skating champion announced Tuesday that a torn labrum in his left hip will keep him from competing in the Sochi Olympic Games. After months of aggressive treatment, doctors told Evan Lysacek the injury was not going to improve and he was risking permanent damage if he kept training.

"My doctor warned me that if I continued to train, with 100 percent certainty the injury would get worse," said Lysacek.

The labrum is a fibrous rim of cartilage around the hip socket that is important in normal function of the hip. It helps keep the head of the femur (thigh bone) inside the acetabulum (hip socket). It provides stability to the joint and pain can occur when the labrum is torn, frayed or damaged.

The hips, as well as the rest of the core, are central to everything a skater does. Jumps, spins and even footwork can become affected with a hip injury. In addition, compensatory changes can take place in the groin and hamstrings as a result.

New information from ongoing studies is changing the way Lysacek's condition is treated. Time off the ice for the injury to completely heal is what Lysacek hopes for, but he says that surgery remains a possibility.

Sochi was almost certainly going to be the last Olympics for the 28-year-old Lysacek. But he's not certain if this is the end of his competitive career.

"I'm focused on recovery right now. But I really don't want this to be how my career ends." said Lysacek.

Dr. Ray Solano is a board-certified Doctor of Chiropractic, with a specialty in sports medicine, and a frequent guest on News4 Midday. Follow @DrRaySolano on Twitter.

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