Shoulder Labral Tears

What Are Shoulder Labral Tears?

A torn labrum is referred to as a shoulder labral tear or labral injury, which an Austin shoulder labral tear doctor can diagnose and treat. Shoulder labral tears are painful injuries to the ring of cartilage surrounding your shoulder socket, often causing deep joint pain, clicking, popping sensation, and instability that disrupts your daily life. The labrum is a soft yet strong piece of rubbery fibrous cartilage that lines the rim of your shoulder socket, known as the glenoid cavity, which is covered by articular cartilage to allow smooth shoulder movement.

This piece of cartilage allows the head of your upper arm bone, also known as the humeral head or long head of the biceps tendon attachment, to securely fit into the ball-and-socket joint, the most flexible and mobile joint in the human body, helping to keep the shoulder joint stabilized by deepening the shoulder socket. The shoulder labrum also helps attach and connect other joint structures, such as shoulder ligaments and the long cord-like structure of the biceps tendon, serving as an important attachment site. This complex structure consists of four tendons forming the rotator cuff, which is crucial for shoulder stability and movement, and shoulder instability results when these structures are damaged or torn.

There are various types of shoulder labral tears and various ways in which the labrum can tear. One type of labral tear, which usually occurs with shoulder dislocations such as anterior dislocation, involves the labrum becoming completely detached from the shoulder bone. A labral tear can also occur when the labrum gradually wears away over time — this is usually seen as people age, with the labrum leading to increased shoulder stiffness and decreased range of motion, often contributing to frozen shoulder.

Another type of labral tear occurs in the superior, or top, portion of the labrum and affects the anterior, meaning the front, and the posterior, meaning the back, of the labrum, where the biceps tendon connects to the shoulder. This is referred to as a SLAP tear, which stands for Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior. SLAP tears most commonly affect overhead athletes, including baseball pitchers and volleyball players, whose sports require frequent or repetitive overhead arm motions, often involving contact sports and placing stress on the most flexible joint in the body.

These tears can impact shoulder stability and shoulder function, often requiring physical examination and imaging such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to achieve an accurate diagnosis. Shoulder arthroscopy or arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive shoulder surgery using a few small incisions, is often recommended to repair SLAP tears when non-surgical treatments fail.

If you’re an active individual or overhead athlete struggling with shoulder labral tear symptoms, this comprehensive guide outlines the different types of labrum damage, including complex injuries often seen in sports medicine, how an Austin shoulder labral tear doctor diagnoses them through a thorough evaluation using imaging studies like MRI, and what recovery options, including both conservative treatment and surgical procedures such as arthroscopic labral repair or open surgery, will get you back to full strength with a personalized treatment plan.

Causes Of A Torn Shoulder Labrum

Shoulder labral tears can occur over time due to repeated or ongoing traumatic injury, specifically from over-the-head throws or other outstretched hand movements. Because of this, certain athletes, such as baseball players and tennis players, may be more vulnerable to shoulder labrum tears, particularly near the rotator cuff tendons and the point where the biceps tendon attaches. Labral tears can also occur from sudden injury or trauma to the shoulder, such as a severe injury caused by a fall on an outstretched hand or a direct blow to the shoulder, which may involve damaged ligaments and soft tissues.

Sudden injury to the shoulder can occur as a result of improperly lifting heavy objects, an abrupt or forceful jerk to the arm, falling, or sustaining other direct damage to the biceps muscle, shoulder ligaments, or entire shoulder soft tissues. The shoulder consists of multiple structures including blood vessels and nerves, which can also be impacted during trauma, complicating recovery. Understanding the complexity of the shoulder, the most mobile joint in the body, is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment planning by a board-certified and fellowship-trained Austin shoulder labral tear doctor.

Symptoms Of A Labral Tear

Depending on the severity and type of labral tear, you may not experience any symptoms. However, as the tear worsens, pain in the shoulder is often experienced, especially during activities that place strain on the shoulder, such as carrying large objects, pushing, throwing, or doing overhead tasks, which can also be associated with a torn rotator cuff or other shoulder conditions. You may also feel as though your shoulder joint is locking, popping, or grinding when you move, indicating mechanical symptoms that can hinder smooth shoulder function. Other symptoms of shoulder labrum tears of the shoulder may include:

• A decrease in shoulder mobility or range of motion
• Weakness or loss of strength in the shoulder
• Pain in the shoulder muscles while engaging in routine activities
• Pain when at rest
• Experiencing shoulder instability, often described as a sensation of the shoulder slipping or giving way
• Feeling as though the shoulder joint is going to slip out of the shoulder blade

Diagnosing A Torn Shoulder Labrum

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms or believe you have a torn labrum, an evaluation by an experienced shoulder labral tear doctor in Austin can help determine the cause of your symptoms. To help diagnose a labral tear, your Austin shoulder labral tear specialist will begin by going over your medical history, including your age, activity level, overall health status, and symptoms. Next, your doctor will perform several physical tests and physical exams to help assess your mobility, range of motion, strength, and degree of pain.

To ensure that your symptoms are not the result of similar shoulder injuries such as a rotator cuff tear or other soft tissue damage and to determine the level of damage, your shoulder labral tears specialist may need to perform additional testing. Additional testing may include X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, CT arthrograms, or musculoskeletal ultrasounds.

Labral Tear Treatment Options in Austin, TX: Conservative Treatment or Surgical Procedure?

If you are suffering from a torn labrum and are seeking pain relief, there are both surgical and nonsurgical treatment options available. Based on various factors, such as the type of tear, your activity level, and symptoms, treatment will vary.

Here at our practice, whenever possible, we aim to first recommend nonsurgical treatments to help restore mobility, alleviate pain with anti-inflammatory medications, and prevent the progression of damage and motion loss. Nonsurgical treatment options that can be used to treat a labral tear caused by a Bankart tear may include:

• Resting and avoiding overhead activities that stress the shoulder joint
• Avoiding activities that induce shoulder pain or instability in the shoulder joint
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to bring down swelling and pain
• Physical therapy and exercise guided by a physical therapist to improve shoulder strength and mobility of the rotator cuff muscles
• Steroid injections to help alleviate pain as the shoulder labral tears heal

When nonsurgical treatment options are ineffective, or the tear is severe, patients may require surgery. Most patients experience significant pain reduction after surgery. We specialize in and offer surgical treatment options such as arthroscopy and open shoulder surgery, including Bankart repair that addresses recurrent shoulder dislocations, to help effectively treat and repair shoulder labral tears. Platelet-rich plasma therapy may also be used to help promote cartilage growth, alleviate pain, and enhance recovery time. Physical therapy typically lasts 3 to 6 months after surgery. Full recovery can take 6 to 12 months for complex procedures.

Schedule A Consultation With a Shoulder Labral Tears Doctor

If you are experiencing symptoms of a shoulder labral tear, a consultation with an Austin shoulder labral tear surgeon may be the first step towards diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. M. Tyrrell Burrus, MD is an experienced fellowship-trained specialist in Austin who is dedicated to providing high-quality arthroscopic surgery and specialized holistic care involving shoulder labrum tears, rotator cuff tears, shoulder arthritis, impingement, and labrum surgery, including adult reconstructive surgery and most shoulder surgeries, such as rotator cuff repair and shoulder replacement procedures like total shoulder replacement and reverse total shoulder replacement.

Call (512) 324-9170 or fill out the form on this page to schedule an appointment for evaluation of shoulder labral tear surgery or treatment options, where the procedure performed aims to reduce pain and provide adequate relief for shoulder conditions.