Your labrum is a small piece of fibrocartilage in your shoulder that helps to keep the ball of your shoulder within the socket. It also plays a major role in stabilizing your shoulder joint, so it’s easy to see how issues can develop if you suffer a torn labrum. Torn labrums tend to be pretty painful and it will make it difficult to comfortably maneuver your shoulder, but does this mean surgery is definitely in your future? In today’s blog, we explain if a labrum tear can fully heal without surgical intervention.
Understanding Labral Tears
Labral tears can typically be divided into two main types – SLAP tears and Bankart labral tears:
- SLAP Tears – SLAP stands for Superior Labrum Anterior/Posterior, and a SLAP tear usually develops over time as a result of repetitive movements and abnormal shoulder biomechanics. It’s more common in athletes that regularly use overhead motions to throw a ball or swing equipment, like baseball players, tennis players and golfers. They develop across the top of the labrum from front to back.
- Bankart Tears – A Bankart tear oftentimes develops as a result of forceful trauma to the shoulder region. If you slip on a patch of ice or tip off a ladder, you may instinctively put your arm out to brace your fall, but this action will lead to a severe jarring of the shoulder joint. Catching yourself while falling is the most common cause of Bankart tears, although they can develop whenever a significant force is applied to the shoulder. They develop on the bottom half of the labrum
If you’re dealing with significant shoulder pain that’s making it difficult to lift or move your arm and shoulder like normal, head to the doctor’s office or set up an appointment with a shoulder specialist like Dr. Holloway. He’ll begin by asking about your symptoms and reviewing the shoulder area during a physical exam. He may also have you try to perform some simple movements to see how the shoulder responds. To confirm his suspicions, he’ll likely order an MRI, which will give him a better idea of the size and location of the labral tear.
Now let’s move onto the question at hand. If you suffer a torn labrum, are you destined for surgery, or can you make a full recovery with non-operative treatment? As you can probably guess, there is no straightforward answer as your treatment path will depend on a number of individual factors like tear location, size and your activity goals. That said, conservative care is becoming an increasingly popular treatment technique for labrum tears.
The main reason why shoulder specialists may attempt to treat the problem without surgery is because labral tear surgery doesn’t have an impeccable success rate like so many other operations. A study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine took a closer look at the success rate of SLAP tear surgeries in athletes. After reviewing post-surgical outcomes for 179 athletes, 36.8 percent of surgeries were designated as a failed procedure, while another 28 percent required a revisional operation within two years. Even when surgery goes as hoped, many patients are told to avoid certain physical activities to reduce their risk of another tear, meaning that they may not be able to play golf or tennis again.
The good news is that roughly two-thirds of patients with a labral tear are able to make a full recovery without the need for surgery. By carefully adhering to your shoulder specialist’s rehabilitation plan, we’re confident that you can make a full recovery. And while they will give you some specific recovery instructions, the most common conservative care plan calls for a combination or rest, physical therapy, activity avoidance and eventually a gradual reintroduction to activities that stress the shoulder area. The typical timeline for labrum tear recovery without surgery is 6-8 weeks, but your timeline may be adjusted based on what physical activities you hope to be able to return to after rehab.
If you’re dealing with shoulder pain and have reason to believe that you suffered a labrum tear, don’t keep putting off treatment. The sooner you seek treatment, the sooner you can get back to doing all the overhead activities you love without discomfort. For more information, or for help with a different shoulder issue, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
