Treatment
Very few patients with SLAP lesion injuries return to full capability without surgical intervention. In some cases, physical therapy can strengthen the supporting muscles in the shoulder joint to the point of reestablishing stability. For all other cases the choice is do nothing or have surgery to reattach the labrum to the glenoid.
While the surgery can be performed as a traditional open procedure, the recommended course of action is an arthroscopic surgery. This type of procedure is vastly less intrusive to the body and reduces chances of infection.
During the procedure the surgeon should check the general health of the shoulder joint. There are at least twenty different items of conditions that he/she should examine or look for. These include:
- SLAP lesion – labrum/glenoid separation at the tendon of the biceps muscle
- Bankart lesion – labrum/glenoid separation at the inferior glenohumeral ligament
- Biceps Tendon
- Bone – glenoid, humerus — general surface condition
- Ligaments – check for tears and condition
- Anatomical variants — sublabral foramen, Buford Complex
Read more about this topic: SLAP Tear
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