SLAP Labrel tear, how'd it go?

[Wvroach]

So I was injured at work about 6 weeks ago, MRI arthrogram results finally came in, torn labral SLAP more specifically. Edema in ac joint. Waiting to go to a Ortho now but workers comp has drug their feet on everything thus far so I imagine another week or 2 before I hear anything...

For you all that have had this injury did you end up getting surgery, arthroscopic or otherwise, if you didn't did you do physical therapy? How is it now?

For what it's worth,
I'm 30, good shape and very active. Foreman Millwright/Welder is my trade. About 6 weeks later post accident I have about half strength in my arm and unable to raise overhead, getting constant popping and clicking when trying to rotate. Pain has subsided a good deal but still there and very sharp when moving certain ways. Range of motion is very limited so is my strength for anything requiring outstretched arm or remotely overhead is out of the question.

Google seems to show a 3-6 month recovery period post op, which absolutely sucks but also reading most younger people who don't undergo the surgery are likely to need it within 2 years with physical therapy alone. What were your experiences.

Thanks.

 

[BBob]

I had a different shoulder injury but personally know three people that had SLAP tears fixed and one of them had both fixed back to back. All of them recovered back to normal and back to all previous activities fairly quickly (all of them were climbers so a pretty shoulder intensive sport). Can’t remember how long it took them all exactly but it wasn’t an extended time and seems within a year or less they were all good. None of them had a recurrence and it’s been many years since they’ve been fixed.

 

[OutdoorsMD]

Depends on how much pain you have. I am an orthopedic surgeon and personally have a slap tear that I chose not to get fixed because it bothers me with less than 5% of activities. Lifting weights, shooting a bow, etc are no problem, just cant throw a baseball or softball hard. Took about 3 months for it to settle down when I did it 6 years ago. Some people have a lot of pain even at rest but that is unusual. In most cases I would start with therapy, rest, injection before operating on someone with one. I was 33 when I did it, 39 now. Most of the time once you get around age 40 it more common to do a biceps tenotomy/tendodesis than a repair which is a quicker recovery.

 

[Wvroach]

Depends on how much pain you have. I am an orthopedic surgeon and personally have a slap tear that I chose not to get fixed because it bothers me with less than 5% of activities. Lifting weights, shooting a bow, etc are no problem, just cant throw a baseball or softball hard. Took about 3 months for it to settle down when I did it 6 years ago. Some people have a lot of pain even at rest but that is unusual. In most cases I would start with therapy, rest, injection before operating on someone with one. I was 33 when I did it, 39 now. Most of the time once you get around age 40 it more common to do a biceps tenotomy/tendodesis than a repair which is a quicker recovery.

I've got mild pain at rest, more like a ache I'd rate it like a 2 out of 10 it's just certain movements i get a sharp pain I'd call like a 7. Night time sucks as it gets stiff and I've had a rough time sleeping since it happened as I normally sleep flat and have to keep adjusting on my side which is uncomfortable for me.

I prefer to go the more conservative treatment route normally but it seems (from what the internet told me) the tear won't actually "heal" on its own it would just be strengthening the muscles around it more or less?

 

[OutdoorsMD]

Yes and no. They often settle into relative place as the inflammation resolves. There are a few different types of SLAP (which stands for superior labral anterior-posterior) tears but the reason they dont heal is the biceps tendon tugs on them. Hence why cutting the proximal(upper) biceps relieves pain. Ive seen collegiate and pro baseball players with awful chronic SLAP tears on MRI throw baseballs at full velocity with no pain after rehab and PT.

 

[tcpip95]

@OutdoorsMD is the expert here. Listen to him.

I had two separate bicep tenodesis surgeries (one on each shoulder). In both cases I tore the rotator cuff, labrum, and bicep tendon. The first was a result of a hockey injury I suffered when I was 23 (I'm now 67). My orthopedic surgeon said to hold off until my quality of life was impacted. The second one was in the last 15 years of hitting hundreds of golf balls every day.

The surgeries were both highly successful and my shoulders today are as good as the ones God gave me. But the real story to the success is PT. It is long and brutal. I'm sure the good doctor will agree with me. You MUST commit to the PT. It will be 4-6 months of hard work but if you don't put in the work you won't get good results.

I wish you the best in your surgery should you go that route.

EDIT: One more key point… do NOT baby the shoulder right now. I did, and ended up with a Frozen Shoulder. I had to undergo a procedure where the doctor put me under and worked the hell out of my shoulder to get range of motion back. PT for 8 weeks THEN he could do the surgery. It was an absolute nightmare. Back-to-back procedures, and the frozen shoulder was worse than the surgery.

 

[Arctic Hunter]

I had a slap tear and some other stuff on my right shoulder. Had the surgery at the end of December and shot 60# that fall.

I’m going in Monday to have my left one done. Hopefully I will be shooting 50-60 again by September. Doctor this time is telling me four months before I can shoot again. But I’m freakin dreading it….

 

[RaggedHunter]

I'm about your same age. I had my left shoulder repaired in my early 20's. Slap tear labrum, rotator cuff, reattach bicep, etc. My injuries stemmed from wrestling, lived with the pain for several years, I put off getting it repaired until I was done with sports (no sense in repairing it just to have it torn again).
I had a lot of concerns about the recovery and whether I'd be able to shoot my bow etc. leading up to having the surgery, I think those concerns are normal.

I can say without a doubt I have no regrets getting mine repaired. The recovery at a younger age really wasn't bad. I had my surgery done in December/January, I was shooting my bow at 70lbs that summer and hunted archery that fall. I'm really glad I got mine fixed.

 

[Pacific_Fork]

I opted not to get surgery for my labral, bicep tendon, and rotator cuff tears in my left shoulder. I got stem cell injections a month ago and currently in PT. We will see how it goes in the coming months. Surgery to me just wasn’t an option with what I do daily, and from what I’ve heard about stem cell therapy working miracles I took the chance.

 

[Marble]

I'm not sure if mine was a slap tear. Mine basically tore laterally from one side to the other. It wasn't completely torn in half, but almost. My arm would not stay in the socket.

Rotator cuff was okay but injured.

Bicep tendon was good.

I had it repaired by a doctor that does only shoulders. Very little pain post op, shooting my bow in 4 months. 95% just shy of months.

I now do my own shoulder exercises at the gym twice weekly. Nothing super heavy.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[camelcluch]

I tore my interior labrum and was back in 6 months. Then tore my biceps tendon off my humorous and back to bow hunting in 5 months. Lots of therapy band work but both have been solid.