SHOULDER PATHOLOGY-TORN LABRUM

The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. Due to being a swallow socket, the shoulder joint has a cuff of cartilage called a labrum that forms a cup for the end of the humerus to move within. The labrum is made of a thick tissue that is susceptible to injury with trauma to the shoulder joint. The labrum also becomes more brittle with age, and can fray and tear as part of the aging process. When a patient sustains a shoulder injury, it is possible that the patient has a labral tear.
Symptoms include aching sensation in the shoulder joint, catching of the shoulder with movement, and pain with specific activities. There are three different types of labral tears. SLAP tears are most commonly seen in overhead throwing athletes such as baseball players, and tennis players. It is located at the top of the shoulder socket where the biceps tendon attaches to the shoulder. Bankart lesions are a labral tear that occurs when a shoulder dislocates. When the shoulder comes out of joint, the labrum is torn, and makes the shoulder more susceptible to future dislocations. Posterior labral tears are less common, but sometimes seen in athletes in a condition called internal impingement. In this syndrome, the rotator cuff and labrum are pinched together in the back of the shoulder.
Most labral tears do not require surgery; however, in patients who have persistent symptoms despite more conservative treatments, surgery may be necessary.