If no other treatments are performed, then recovery may take 6 weeks to 3 months, based on one’s desired activities. If a SLAP repair and/or a biceps tenodesis are performed, then recovery may last 3-6 months, with athletes returning to high-level play after at least 5 months. 5.
What happens when you have a SLAP tear?
So what happens when you have some issues with your SLAP tear, you technically have a loss of static stability. So you have a loss of ability to stabilize your shoulder joint because it moves more. So if you want to say like “Well, how do you treat it?”
Can a SLAP tear be treated without surgery?
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 tear, each with advantages and disadvantages.
How long does a SLAP tear take to heal?
SLAP tear treatment depends on the amount and kind of damage healthcare providers find when they examine your labrum. They might recommend non-surgical therapies first before concluding surgery is the best option. Regardless, SLAP tears can take months to fully heal.
Do SLAP tears always need surgery?
SLAP tears are often painful and can cause clicking in the shoulder. 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.
Is a SLAP tear serious?
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 long does it take a SLAP tear to heal without surgery?
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.
Can a shoulder labral tear get worse?
When this happens, the labral tissue may start to tear. If the tear gets worse, it may become a flap of tissue that can move in and out of the joint, getting caught between the head of the humerus and the glenoid. The flap can cause pain and catching when you move your shoulder.
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).
What happens if a labral tear goes untreated?
If left untreated, this may lead to chronic or recurrent shoulder instability, pain, and weakness.
IS SLAP tear surgery painful?
You will be in pain, and although you can mask that pain with pain medications, you may discover that doing so prevents you from taking care of your responsibilities. Your doctor will give you a sling, which he or she will advise you to wear for anywhere between two and four weeks.
Does a Type 3 SLAP tear require surgery?
While there are many types of SLAP tears, most can be treated with physical therapy or surgery.
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.
Can you live with a torn labrum?
Typically, patients with SLAP injuries that are less severe, involving either a partially torn labrum or frayed labrum, will find that physical therapy alone will improve their symptoms. However, if symptoms do not resolve after 6-12 weeks of physical therapy, surgery is necessary for a full recovery.
How do you treat a labral tear in the shoulder without surgery?
Surgery is often recommended to repair a torn labrum. However, exercise is also a very effective treatment option. Non-operative management includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroid injections to decrease pain and inflammation.
Will a SLAP tear show up on an MRI?
Imaging Tests An MRI scan is often done to diagnose a SLAP tear and other potential injuries to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage in the shoulder. Because of the many overlapping and interwoven structures in the shoulder, it is possible for an MRI scan to miss a smaller tear.
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 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 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) ...
How many types of slap injuries are there?
SLAP injuries are classified into 10 different types. Each injury is categorized based on how the tear forms. Originally, SLAP tears were classified into types 1 through 4. The other types, known as extended SLAP tears, were added over time. The descriptions of these types vary slightly.
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 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.
How long does it take for a bicep to heal?
If these treatments don’t work, or if the tear is serious, you’ll likely need surgery. Though recovery time is different for everyone, it usually takes at least 4 to 6 months.
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 labrum where it connects to the biceps tendon, and it extends in a curve from the chest (“anterior”) to the back (“posterior”).
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 or work activity. More often, however, they result from repetitive stress on the shoulder which, over time, wears down the shoulder labrum.
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:
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.
How is a SLAP tear treated?
SLAP tears may be treated nonsurgically or surgically, depending on the patient’s individual condition. Conservative, nonsurgical treatments including rest and physical therapy are usually tried first, except in severe cases.
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?
While the surgery is typically done arthroscopically as an outpatient (meaning patients go home the same day), the recovery is the hard part. Most patients are in a sling for six weeks then get more aggressive in physical therapy to work on stretching and strengthening.
What is a type V slap tear?
Lastly, a Type V SLAP tear is a tear of the labrum that begins in the front and top of the socket bone and reaches all the way down to the bottom. This can cause some very considerable shoulder instability and arthroscopic SLAP repair most often is indicated.
How do you know if you have a shoulder injury?
The symptoms are, obviously, pain in the shoulder. Sometimes, the symptoms can be deep and, often, there is a lag time between the injury and the onset of symptoms. Catching, popping or clicking is very common. Lastly, patients often feel as though their arm is “dead” or weak.
Is the bicep attachment still intact?
The biceps attachment, though, is still intact . An attempt of conservative treatment can be made for this tear and, because the biceps attachment is stable, some patients do improve. Unfortunately, because of the size and displacement of the tear, many patients require arthroscopic repair.
Can weight training cause labral tears?
A fall on an outstretched arm can also be a cause. Lastly, weight training, such as in the gym, can often lead to a labral tear. The symptoms are, obviously, pain in the shoulder.
Can a slap tear be repaired?
An attempt of conservative treatment can be made with this type of tear. Unfortunately, younger, athletic, and active patients often do not improve with conservative treatment and arthroscopic surgery to repair the SLAP tear is warranted .
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 a slap tear be treated?
SLAP tears are a common cause of shoulder discomfort, especially for athletes who have frequent overhead movements. Often, a SLAP tear can be managed with nonsurgical treatments, especially if you can rest the joint long enough for it to heal.
Can bicep tenodesis be done arthroscopically?
When the forces that pull on the SLAP region are reduced, the symptoms can be alleviated. A biceps tenodesis is a common surgical choice for people who are over 40 years of age or those who have associated biceps tendonitis or tearing. A biceps tenodesis can be done arthroscopically.
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 biceps anchor be used for debridement surgery?
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.
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.
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 long does it take to heal a slap tear?
If you are still having problems after three to six months of rehab, SLAP repair surgery may be advised. SLAP tear surgery is usually done arthroscopically, keyhole surgery. A small camera known as an arthroscope is inserted into the shoulder joint so the surgeon can see exactly what damage has been done.
How to tell if glenoid labrum is injured?
The glenoid labrum is most commonly injured by a fall or from repetitive overhead movements, such as racket sports or throwing activities. Symptoms of a SLAP lesion include pain, weakness, instability and a catching sensation in the shoulder. Treatment usually involves medication and physical therapy, but in some cases, surgery will be advised.
What type of tear is a bucket handle?
Type 4: A bucket handle tear of the superior glenoid labrum which extends into the biceps tendon. 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.
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 ...
How to treat a slap lesion?
Conservative, i.e. non surgical, treatment for a SLAP lesion will likely include: 1 Medication: pain-relief and anti-inflammatories such as naproxen and ibuprofen 2 Rest: from aggravating activities 3 Physical Therapy: exercises to regain the strength, stability and movement of the shoulder - visit the rotator cuff exercises section to find out more
What age do you get SLAP tears?
Chronic Injuries. Chronic tears tend to occur in people over the age of 40, and degeneration of the glenoid labrum is often seen as part of the normal aging process. Chronic SLAP tears are usually caused by:
What is a slap injury?
Here is a summary of the video transcript. SLAP Lesions or Tear are very common injuries we see. The shoulder labrum works with the shoulder ligaments to provide shoulder stability. When labrum or shoulder ligaments are injured, the shoulder becomes unstable, the shoulder can dislocate or pop out of place.
Who is the author of the SLAP lesion repair?
In a recent review of SLAP lesion repair surgeries, one author, Stephen C. Weber, MD, noted the rise in both the number of repair surgeries and complications associated with them. This study looked at the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery database for SLAP lesion repairs.
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.
What is adaptive capsular laxity?
Explanatory note: adaptive capsular laxity and labral injury with pathologic instability are when the ligament, tendons, and labrum are injured, through acute or wear and tear injury, that they, the ligaments and tendons, cannot hold the shoulder in place. Chronic shoulder dislocation or glenohumeral subluxation result.
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.
Can you repair a slap tear without surgery?
Repairing a SLAP tear without surgery. If you are reading this article you are likely someone very involved in sports or you have a physically demanding job. You may be a baseball pitcher or the parent of a baseball player, likely a pitcher, doing your research looking for that non-surgical alternative that will save the 2021 spring season ...
How long does it take to recover from a slap?
rotator cuff repair, etc). If no other treatments are performed, then recovery may take 6 weeks to 3 months, based on one’s desired activities.
What are the advantages of tenotomy?
The main advantages to the patient with performing a tenotomy include a lower risk of persistent pain over the front of the shoulder after surgery and the avoidance of additional rehabilitation precautions.