Sports Shoulder Injuries / The Shoulder
Labral Tear
The shoulder joint is very similar to the hip; however, the socket of the shoulder joint is extremely shallow, and thus inherently unstable. To compensate for the shallow socket, the shoulder joint has a ring of cartilage around the socket called a labrum that forms a deeper cup for the ball portion of the upper arm bone (humerus). This ring of cartilage increases stability of the shoulder joint, yet allows for a wide range of movements. The following describes two common labral tears.
Bankart Lesion Tear
The Bankart lesion is one of the more common causes of instability in the shoulder. It is a tear of the labrum below the middle of the glenoid socket. This type of tear can occur from stresses placed on the front of the shoulder when performing overhead activities such as throwing or serving a tennis ball. Another common way to develop a Bankart lesion is when a shoulder dislocates. As the shoulder moves out of the joint, the labrum is often torn, especially in younger patients.
Symptoms of a Bankart lesion may include a sense of instability or aching in the shoulder. You may even experience repetition of the dislocation or a catching sensation in the shoulder. Patients will often complain that they cannot trust their shoulder, fearing it may dislocate again.
SLAP Lesion Tear
SLAP is short for Superior Labrum from Anterior (front) to Posterior (back). It is a tear of the labrum above the middle of the glenoid socket. This type of labral tear is most commonly seen in overhead throwing athletes such as baseball players and tennis players. The torn labrum seen in a SLAP tear is at the top of the shoulder socket where the biceps tendon attaches to the shoulder. An injury or tear to this part of the body typically results from overuse, trauma and accidents such as falling onto an outstretched hand.
Healthy Labrum
SLAP Lesion Tear
Symptoms of a SLAP Lesion may include some pain and soreness in the front of the shoulder when bending the elbow or turning the wrist. You may also experience a click or snap with movement of the shoulder and it may feel like the shoulder is being dislocated.