Arthroscopic Labral Repair is performed with miniaturized instruments and cameras that allow an orthopaedic surgeon to see inside the joint to identify and treat a glenoid labrum tear, also known as a labral tear. There are several types of shoulder labral tears, including a SLAP lesion, a Bankart lesion and a posterior labral tear.

Who Needs It

In many cases, nonsurgical methods effectively relieve symptoms and heal the injured structures.  These may include anti-inflammatory medications and rest to relieve symptoms. Rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles may also be recommended. If these nonsurgical measures are insufficient or the symptoms return, surgical intervention may be recommended by an orthopaedic surgeon. However, it should be noted that not all shoulder tears can be improved with surgery.

The doctor will perform a battery of physical tests to examine the patient's range of motion, stability, and pain and consider the patient's history of injury. The doctor may order advanced imaging tests, such as a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. In both instances, a contrast medium may be injected to help detect tears. However, the diagnosis will ultimately be made with arthroscopic surgery.

How Does It Work

During a Shoulder Arthroscopy for labral repair, the surgeon inserts a small camera, called an arthroscope, through very small incisions into the shoulder joint. Images from the camera are fed to a video monitor, which is used to guide miniature surgical instruments in examining the rim and the biceps tendon.

The shoulder is considered stable if the injury is confined to the rim without involving the tendon. The surgeon will remove the torn flap and correct any other associated problems.

However, if the tear extends into the biceps tendon or if the tendon is detached, the biceps tendon may be considered unstable. If that's the case, the surgeon will need to repair or transfer the tendon to a safer location using absorbable tacks, screws, or stitches.

Tears of the labrum located in the bottom half of the socket may be associated with Shoulder Instability. The surgeon will reattach the labrum and ligaments and tighten the shoulder socket tissue by folding and "pleating" it. Shoulder Instability Surgery may be done arthroscopically or open with a small incision on the front of the shoulder.