Peer Reviewed Patient Education





Will a labral tear heal without treatment?

There are no good natural history studies on labral injuries. There are acute (sudden) labral tear injuries that are likely to heal without surgery. In chronic (longstanding) cases, however, there are no successful non-operative treatments.

What are the causes of a SLAP tear?

The causes of SLAP tears are a subject of debate among orthopaedic surgeons. There are several injury patterns that can lead to a tear. The most common causes are thought to be:
  • a fall on the outstretched hand that drives the humerus upward and causes the superior labrum to tear.
  • a sudden and often unexpected load applied to the biceps, which can cause a tear.
  • extremes of external rotation and abduction (movement away from the body) during throwing that causes the labrum to "peel back" from its attachment.
Why would my surgeon perform a tenodesis rather than a repair?

The decision to perform a tenodesis is based upon the location of the tear, the amount of biceps involved, and the quality of the remaining tendon. The more degenerative the tissue, the more likely it is that a tenodesis will be a successful treatment. The patient's age is a secondary concern, but is a factor (along with the other variables) that should be considered when assessing the likelihood of success of a primary repair versus the results obtainable with a tenodesis.

References

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Disclaimer

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.