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Labral Tear
Similar to the hip, the shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint. The ball of the upper arm bone is held in place within the socket of the shoulder blade. However, the shoulder socket itself is extremely shallow and unstable. The bones of the shoulder are not held in place adequately, thereby requiring extra support. To help compensate for this instability, the shoulder joint has a cuff of cartilage (labrum) that forms a cup for the end of the arm bone to move within. The labrum wraps around the shallow shoulder socket, thus making the socket deeper. In addition, the biceps muscle tendons of the upper arm attaches to the shoulder just above the labrum. This arrangement makes the shoulder much more stable and allows for a very wide range of movements.
A shoulder or arm injury may cause a labrum tear, but the labrum itself may simply become brittle with age and may fray and tear as part of the aging process.
Treatment
Initially, treatment may include:
*Icing. Packs of ice applied to the shoulder area for twenty to thirty minutes, three to four times a day should relieve inflammation and pain.
*Medication. Anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, should also help ease the pain while reducing swelling.
*Exercise. A program of rehabilitation exercises can also help the healing process.
Large labral tears that are the result of trauma, however, generally need to be fixed in surgery. The labrum tear may be repaired or the torn parts trimmed away. Any scar tissue may also be removed during this procedure. If the shoulder ligaments have been torn, they may be reattached. With a small labral tear, the patient may be directed to avoid vigorous activities that cause shoulder pain, rather than undergo surgery. |
