how to repair a slap tear in shoulder

What is the recovery time for a SLAP tear repair?

The steps of a SLAP repair are:

1. The SLAP tear is identified and excess/damaged tissue is removed.
2. A small hole is drilled into the bone where the labrum has torn away from the socket.
3. An anchor is placed into this hole; attached to the anchor is a strong suture.
4. The suture is used to tie the torn labrum snuggly against the bone.

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Should I have surgery for my SLAP tear?

Your healthcare provider will weigh the following factors when considering surgery for SLAP tears:

• The tear’s classification. Tears are classified based on location and if the tear affects other areas of your shoulder.
• Your age. Healthcare providers take your age into account when considering treatments, which can include cleaning up frayed tissue rather than bicep tenodesis surgery.
• Your typical activities.
• Previous non-surgical treatment.

Can a shoulder SLAP tear heal without surgery?

While outcomes are generally good after SLAP tear surgery, most people improve with non-surgical treatments. If you've had a SLAP tear, you will be advised to rest after your injury to allow the inflammation to subside. This may help to alleviate your symptoms.

What is the recovery time for SLAP tear surgery?

Treatment often includes:

• Rest using a sling or brace
• Physical therapy
• Cortisone injections

Can a SLAP tear heal on its own?

They often occur as a result of a jarring motion of the arm. Unfortunately, SLAP tears do not heal on their own and usually require surgery to allow them to heal properly.

How long does a SLAP tear take to heal?

Recovering from SLAP tear treatment is a marathon, not a sprint. It can take three to four months for non-surgical treatment to help relieve your pain and improve your functioning. It can take up to a year to fully recover from SLAP tear surgery.

How do they fix a SLAP tear?

The surgical technique most commonly used for treating a SLAP injury is arthroscopy. During arthroscopy, your surgeon inserts a small camera, called an arthroscope, into your shoulder joint. The camera displays pictures on a video monitor, and your surgeon uses these images to guide miniature surgical instruments.

Will a SLAP tear get worse?

Can a SLAP tear get worse if untreated? Yes, if a SLAP tear is left untreated, some common and long-term problems could occur, including: shoulder dislocation or instability, reduced range of motion, chronic pain, and adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).

IS SLAP tear surgery painful?

You might have some pain and discomfort after the surgery. Ice packs and pain medication should help relieve both. Your shoulder might feel stiff. Your healthcare provider might recommend light exercises or physical therapy to help you strengthen your shoulder.

Can a SLAP tear be treated with physical therapy?

Treatments. Many people with SLAP tears get better with a period of rest and rehabilitation. A physical therapy program can strengthen the muscles surrounding the shoulder and improve control of the shoulder joint.

Is shoulder labrum surgery a major surgery?

Labrum repair is major surgery with serious risks and potential complications. You may have less invasive treatment options.

Is a SLAP tear a rotator cuff tear?

Rotator cuff tendon tear causes & symptoms Rotator cuff tears have very similar symptoms to other shoulder injuries, such as SLAP tears and are best diagnosed by an orthopedic specialist. This is a tear that occurs at the front of the upper arm where the biceps tendon connects to the shoulder in the labrum.

How long do you wear a sling after SLAP tear surgery?

Expect to wear a sling for 4-6 weeks. This sling should be worn at all times including while you sleep unless otherwise directed by your doctor. The sling may be removed for bathing and to do prescribed exercises that your physical therapist will teach you.

Will cortisone shot Help torn shoulder labrum?

SLAP tears are usually treated with rest, anti-inflammatory medications and, in some cases, an in-office cortisone injection. This is followed by gradual stretching of the shoulder, initially with a physical therapist, for six weeks to two months.

Is labral tear surgery worth it?

Doctors recommend labral tear surgery to patients who they think are good candidates—these patient are not at high risk for surgical complications and are likely to have good postsurgical results. For other patients, a hip replacement or other hip surgery may be considered.

Does a Type 3 SLAP tear require surgery?

Type III SLAP tear consists of a bucket-handle tear, where the torn labrum could droop into the shoulder joint. The biceps tendon remains intact. Arthroscopic surgery is often needed to remove the bucket-handle segment.

Is heat good for a SLAP tear?

Put ice or a cold pack on the sore area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. If there is no swelling, you can put moist heat, a heating pad, or a warm cloth on your shoulder.

What is a SLAP tear?

SLAP stands for "superior labrum from anterior to posterior." This type of shoulder labral tear occurs at the top (“superior”) of the glenoid labru...

What causes a SLAP tear?

SLAP tears can be caused by falling onto an outstretched hand, quickly lifting a heavy object or from a forceful, overhead arm motion during sports...

What are the symptoms of SLAP tear?

SLAP tears can cause pain and range-of-motion problems in the shoulder labrum, the biceps tendon or both. Common symptoms of a SLAP tear include: d...

How is SLAP tear diagnosed?

Diagnosing a SLAP tear is challenging, especially since they often occur in conjunction with other injuries to soft tissues of the shoulder and upp...

How is a SLAP tear treated?

SLAP tears may be treated nonsurgically or surgically, depending on the patient’s individual condition. Conservative, nonsurgical treatments includ...

How successful is SLAP tear surgery?

SLAP repair in athletes who perform frequent overarm movements have shown mixed results. This surgery is more successful in patients under age 40,...

What is the recovery time for SLAP tear surgery?

While the surgery is typically done arthroscopically as an outpatient (meaning patients go home the same day), the recovery is the hard part. Most...

What is a slap tear?

SLAP tears (also called SLAP lesions) vary in severity from minor fraying to complete detachment from the shoulder socket. They are common injuries among overhand athletes who make forceful arm movements, such as baseball players or tennis players.

How is a slap repaired?

SLAP repair is performed arthroscopically, using minimally invasive techniques. Depending on the severity of the tear, the labrum and ligaments may need to be reattached to the bone using sutures and anchors.

How is SLAP tear diagnosed?

Diagnosing a SLAP tear is challenging, especially since they often occur in conjunction with other injuries to soft tissues of the shoulder and upper arm. A sports medicine physician will review your medical history, symptoms and the circumstances under which your injury occurred. If your doctor to suspects a SLAP tear, they will order soft-tissue radiological exams. This is usually an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

How successful is SLAP tear surgery?

SLAP repair in athletes who perform frequent overarm movements have shown mixed results. This surgery is more successful in patients under age 40, but remains the treatment of choice for high-level overhead athletes. Older patients are more likely to have better outcomes from biceps tenodesis or tenotomy.

What is the recovery time for SLAP tear surgery?

Most patients are in a sling for six weeks then get more aggressive in physical therapy to work on stretching and strengthening. Athletes gradually start returning to sport by about four months from surgery with full, unrestricted play on average by six months.

What does SLAP mean in a shoulder?

SLAP stands for "superior labrum from anterior to posterior." This type of shoulder labral tear occurs at the top (“superior”) of the glenoid labrum where it connects to the biceps tendon, and it extends in a curve from the chest (“anterior”) to the back (“posterior”). SLAP lesions are considered as separate entities from other labral tears because the superior labrum is the attachment site of the long head biceps tendon. Injuries to the labrum in this region can result in labral symptoms, biceps symptoms or both.

What causes pain in the shoulder labrum?

SLAP tears can cause pain and range-of-motion problems in the shoulder labrum, the biceps tendon or both. Common symptoms of a SLAP tear include:

What is a slap tear?

Surgery is among the treatment options for a superior labrum from anterior to posterior (SLAP) tear, a type of shoulder joint injury. While outcomes are generally good after SLAP tear surgery, most people improve with non-surgical treatments. If you've had a SLAP tear, you will be advised to rest after your injury to allow ...

What to do if shoulder pain persists?

Physical Therapy. Anti-inflammatory Medications. Cortisone Injections. If your symptoms persist despite these treatments, your doctor might recommend that you have minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery, with a small incision in your shoulder.

What are the risks of arthroscopic shoulder surgery?

Risks of surgical treatment include the usual risks of arthroscopic shoulder surgery . These may include infection, stiffness, and/or shoulder weakness. Your recovery from surgery can be affected if you also have had other shoulder injuries in addition to the SLAP tear. 1 .

Can you recover from a slap tear?

There are several different surgical procedures that can help you recover after a SLAP tear . Since SLAP tears often occur in conjunction with other shoulder problems, such as rotator cuff tears or shoulder arthritis, your surgical planning may have to take these factors into account. 1 

Can a slap tear be surgically treated?

However, when nonsurgical treatment doesn't adequately alleviate symptoms, surgical treatment of the SLAP tear can be considered. There are several surgical options for the treatment of a SLAP te ar, each with advantages and disadvantages. Selection of the right surgery can help to ensure a successful treatment outcome. 1 

Can a slap tear be debrided?

This option is only suitable for minor tears that do not involve the biceps tendon. The biceps anchor, which is the portion of the biceps tendon within the shoulder joint, must be stable for a debridement surgery to be effective. If the biceps anchor is not secure, debridement of the torn portion of the labrum is unlikely to alleviate symptoms. Recovery following an isolated debridement is faster than recovery after a surgical repair. 2 

Why do people with slap tears call?

People with SLAP tears who call or email us, do so because they want to avoid surgery. Perhaps it is the athlete who cannot afford to miss a High School or Collegiate season or it is a house painter or the tree trimmer or the carpenter who cannot afford extended time away from his/her business.

What is the first line of treatment for slap lesions?

Nonsurgical treatments are usually the first-line therapy for symptomatic SLAP lesions. However, some patients cannot obtain a satisfactory improvement of their symptoms, leading to dysfunction of the shoulder and diminished pitching performance.

What is the procedure called when you cut the tendon in your bicep?

and biceps tenodesis or tenotomy (13.0%). This is a more radical procedure usually reserved for aging patients and involves cutting the tendon attachment of the bicep to the shoulder labrum and attaching it to the humerus bone (upper arm).

Why do biceps tenotomy work?

If you can repair the SLAP lesion, then biceps tenotomy is thought to speed recovery by removing the stimulus to spasm. Biceps tenodesis is usually reserved for patients over 40 because of its more radical nature.

How many categories of SLAP lesions are there?

The management of SLAP lesions can be divided into 4 broad categories:

What is the tear in the Glenoid Labrum?

It is a tear in the Glenoid Labrum, the fibrocartilagenous structure that forms a deep pocket that helps keep the humerus bone in the shoulder socket and provides a pain-free range of motion.

Which muscle is used for prolotherapy?

In this illustration, the areas where Prolotherapy injections are given is demonstrated. This includes the biceps bracii muscle attachment which moves the shoulder and the forearm. Transverse Humeral Ligament works with the biceps brachii muscle to provide shoulder stability.

Overview

SLAP tear surgery, or arthroscopic SLAP tear surgery, is often done to repair damaged shoulder cartilage, called a SLAP tear. SLAP stands for S uperior L abrum, A nterior to P osterior.

Procedure Details

Your surgeon either repairs your torn labrum, attaches it to your shoulder socket or cuts your biceps tendon that’s attached to your labrum and attaches it to your humerus.

Additional Details

Hamula M, Mahure SA, Kaplan DJ, et al. Arthroscopic Repair of Type II SLAP Tears Using Suture Anchor Technique. Arthrosc Tech. Accessed 10/19/2021.

What Is A SLAP Tear?

A SLAP tear occurs in the glenohumeral joint aka shoulder. This is where the top part of the arm bone (the head of humerus), which is shaped like a ball, fits in a socket on the front of the shoulder blade (glenoid fossa).

How to diagnose a slap tear?

Your doctor should be able to diagnose a SLAP tear from talking to you and examining your shoulder. They may also want to get x-rays or an MRI, often with contrast dye to get a clearer picture.

What type of tear is a slap tear?

Type 1 and type 2 SLAP tears are the most common. Slap tears can also be associated with a Bankart Lesion, where there is damage to the bottom part of the glenoid labrum, or a rotator cuff tear, damage to the shoulder muscles. You can find out more in the Bankart Lesion and Rotator Cuff tear sections.

What is a type 3 labrum tear?

Type 3: A bucket-handle tear of the labrum where part of the rim detaches forming a flap which can get caught in the joint, causing locking or catching sensations. The biceps tendon is unaffected

What are the different types of SLAP tear?

The four most common types of SLAP tear are: Type 1: Degeneration (wear and tear) where the edges of the labrum fray, but stay attached to the glenoid rim. Biceps tendon is unaffected. Type 2: The superior (top) part of the labrum and the biceps tendon are torn off the glenoid rim. Type 3: A bucket-handle tear of the labrum where part ...

What is the ring of cartilage in the shoulder called?

To improve the stability of the shoulder, there is a ring of cartilage, known as the glenoid labrum, which helps to deepen the socket without restricting movement. The glenoid labrum is reinforced by the tendons of various muscles of the shoulder. With a SLAP tear, the top part of the glenoid labrum, which is reinforced by one ...

How to tell if you have a slap tear?

SLAP Tear Symptoms. The most common SLAP tear symptoms are: Pain: with shoulder movements or when lifting things above the head. It tends to be a dull ache, rather than a sharp pain. Weakness: decreased strength in the upper arm. Instability: it may feel as if the shoulder is going to “pop-out”.

How to repair a slap tear in shoulder?

They insert a small camera, or an arthroscope, into the joint. The surgeon then uses miniature surgical tools to repair the SLAP tear.

What is a slap tear?

Shoulder SLAP tear. A SLAP tear is a type of shoulder injury. It affects the labrum, which is the cartilage on the rim of the shoulder’s socket. The labrum is a rubber-like tissue that holds the ball of the shoulder joint in place. SLAP stands for “superior labrum anterior and posterior.”. The tear occurs in the top (superior) ...

What is a type 1 labrum tear?

In a type 1 tear, the labrum is frayed but the biceps tendon is attached. This type of tear is degenerative and usually seen in older people.

What type of ligaments are in the shoulder?

The glenohumeral ligaments are fibrous tissues that keep the shoulder joint together. These ligaments include the superior, middle, and inferior glenohumeral ligaments. In a type 7 tear, the injury extends into the middle and inferior glenohumeral ligaments. Type 8 is a type 2B tear that extends into back lower part of the labrum.

What are the symptoms of a slap tear?

SLAP tear symptoms include: shoulder popping, locking, or grinding. pain with certain movements or positions. pain when lifting things, especially over your head. reduced range of motion.

How to diagnose a slap tear?

SLAP tear diagnosis. A doctor will use several methods to diagnose your injury. These might include: Medical history. This helps a doctor understand what type of activity might have caused your injury. Physical examination. A doctor will observe your shoulder and its range of motion.

What type of tear is a slap injury?

Type 2 tears are the most common SLAP injuries. Depending on the location of the labral tear, type 2 tears are split into three categories: type 2A (front top) type 2B (back top) type 2C (both the front and back top)

How long does it take for a slap tear to heal?

This is followed by gradual stretching of the shoulder, initially with a physical therapist, for six weeks to two months.

Where do slap tears occur?

SLAP tears occur at the front of the upper arm where the biceps tendon connects to the shoulder. "Athletes most prone to this injury include baseball pitchers and volleyball players who engage in high-energy, quick-snap motions over the top of the shoulder," says Dr. Stephen Fealy, an orthopedic surgeon in the Sports Medicine Institute. Patients with SLAP tears may experience pain at the front of the shoulder near the biceps tendon.

What is the shoulder labrum?

The labrum is a cup-shaped rim of cartilage that lines and reinforces the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder. The shoulder joint is composed of the glenoid (the shallow shoulder "socket") and the head of the upper arm bone known as the humerus (the "ball").

What does a torn shoulder labrum feel like?

The most common symptoms of a torn shoulder labrum are: shoulder pain, instability and, in some cases, a feeling of grinding, locking or catching while moving the shoulder. These symptoms may vary depending on the type of labral tear a person has.

When do you need surgery for a torn shoulder labrum?

Surgery may be required if the tear gets worse or does not improve after physical therapy. "If physical therapy fails and the athlete still can’t complete overhead motions, or the shoulder continues to dislocate, surgical treatment might be required to reattach the torn ligaments and labrum to the bone," says Dr. Fealy. Arthroscopic procedures, in which the doctor operates through a small incision, are usually preferred because they are less invasive than open surgery.

What is the recovery time for shoulder labrum repair surgery?

Those undergoing open surgery should expect more pain, longer recovery, and in some cases incomplete shoulder rotation. Athletes may require six months to one year for full recovery, with overhead throwing athletes taking the longest.

What is Bankart tear?

Bankart tears. Bankart tears typically occur in younger patients who have dislocated their shoulder. When the shoulder joint ball slips out of the socket, the joint capsule (fiberous tissues that surround and protect the joint) can pull on the lower portion of the labrum and tear it.

What is a SLAP tear?

The first, SLAP (Superior Labrum Anterior/Posterior) tears, generally occur over time as abnormal shoulder biomechanics combined with repetitive activities weaken the cartilage that makes up the labrum (such as throwing a ball, swinging a racket or working overhead). These tears occur across the top of the labrum from front to back.

How to fix labrum injury?

Fixing a labrum injury ( without surgery) is a two-part process: returning proper motion to the scapula (shoulder blade) and glenohumeral joint and correcting muscle imbalances. If you’re only addressing joint motion (manipulation), but ignoring the muscles that control and support that joint with specific active rehab exercises, you’ll never get long-term correction.

How can you tell if it’s a labrum tear?

While MRI arthrogram imaging is the gold standard for diagnosing a labral tear, and what your doctor will probably order if they suspect one, there’s a test you can do yourself at home that’ll give you a good idea whether your shoulder pain is due to a problem with your labrum or not.

What is the next question to ask when you have a labrum tear confirmed by an MRI?

For those who’ve had a labrum tear confirmed by an MRI, the next question is usually “Is surgery necessary?”

Where do Bankart tears occur?

Bankart tears happen on the bottom half of the labrum. This type of acute labral tear is most often seen in younger athletes who play contact sports like football or hockey.

Can labrum heal?

Conversely, if you’re only doing muscle and myofascial rehab – stretching soft tissue that’s tight and strengthening weak muscles – without actually correcting the joint dysfunction that’s at the root of the problem in the first place, you’ll be stuck with low-level chronic inflammation forever because the joint still isn’t working correctly and the labrum never has a chance to heal.

Does Ascent fix labral injury?

While what we do at Ascent to correct a labral injury isn’t necessarily a quick fix, it’s a solution that gets rid of pain naturally. And it’s a solution that allows you to return to all the activities that you love in life – even the high-impact, high-intensity ones.