Labral tears are often caused by a direct injury to the shoulder, such as falling on an outstretched hand. The labrum can also become torn from the wear and tear of activity. An injured labrum can lead to shoulder instability. The extra motion of the humerus within the socket causes additional damage to the labrum. An extremely unstable shoulder may slip or dislocate. This can also cause the labrum to tear.
There are surgical and nonsurgical treatments for a labral repair, the latter being much less expensive. Nonsurgical treatment consists of medication, therapy, and other things your doctor may deem necessary. You may need therapy treatments for four to six weeks. Most patients are able to get back to their activities with full use of their arm within this amount of time.
If your symptoms don’t go away, you may need surgery. Dr. Larsen is an expert in labral repair surgery. He has mastered the arthroscopic repair technique:
Several new techniques allow surgeons to place anchors into the bone around the shoulder joint and reattach the labrum using the arthroscope. There are many variations of these anchors, but most are drilled into the bone and have sutures (stitches) attached that are then used to tie the labrum down to the bone and enable the labrum to heal back in the appropriate position.
If you are experiencing labrum issues, please contact Dr. Larsen’s office and see how we can help you.
To learn more about labral repair visit: http://www.houstonmethodist.org/orthopedics/where-does-it-hurt/shoulder/labral-tears/
Source:
“Labral Tears.” Labral Tears | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine | Houston Methodist. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2017.