Peer Reviewed Patient Education

The physician will first take a history of the patient's injury in order to learn how it occurred. As mentioned earlier, the pain from a labral tear is located at the site of the injury, and is usually referred to as being deep inside the shoulder. A thorough physical exam may reveal other sources of injury or another disorder. During a physical examination of the shoulder:

the physician will measure motion to reveal any stiffness, which can be a sign of a labral tear.

an instability exam will be performed.

the O'Brien's test which focuses on the biceps and reveals pain, can help diagnose a labral tear.

X-rays will rule out other problems such as arthritis, fracture, impingement, or malignancy.

The confirming test for a labral tear is an MRI preceded by an arthrogram. This procedure greatly enhances the diagnostic accuracy by allowing tears of the labrum to be seen more clearly.

At Seaport we believe in meeting patients' individual needs through comprehensive evaluation and treatment, designed to help achieve an active, pain-free lifestyle. Seaport physicians take the time to know you and work with you from your initial symptoms or injury, through every aspect of your recovery. Our goal at Seaport is to enable our patients to get back to a full active lifestyle as quickly and safely possible.

Our group is comprised of various physicians whose specialties include orthopaedic surgery, treatment of the hand, knee, spine, hip, foot and ankle, physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain management.