Experience and Expertise in Shoulder Labral Tears

At University Hospitals, our sports medicine shoulder specialists provide the expert skill needed to help patients with labral tears find ultimate pain relief. Beginning with an expert diagnosis, we help our athletes return their shoulder’s full range of motion through a comprehensive labral tear shoulder treatment and rehabilitation plan. Our board-certified and fellowship-trained sports medicine physicians have the expertise needed for improved outcomes and full recovery. Because our team takes care of every athlete, including NFL and Olympic athletes, we have the high-volume experience to determine the best path of care for your unique condition.

If you are diagnosed with a labral tear, our team of orthopaedic and sports medicine specialists may initially recommend conservative treatments such as rest, anti-inflammatory medications and rehabilitation exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.

Understanding Shoulder Labral Tears

The labrum of the shoulder is a cartilage disc that is attached to the socket of the shoulder and helps your shoulder stay in its proper position. A shoulder labral tear is an injury to the labrum.

Shoulder labral tears may occur as a result of a direct fall or repetitive activity. Pain with overhead activities such as a tennis serve or golf swing, or other symptoms such as popping, grinding, a decreased range of motion, loss of strength or sense of instability in the shoulder are all common labral tear symptoms in the shoulder.

Surgical Advances in Diagnosing and Treating Shoulder Labral Tears

Recent advancements in arthroscopy surgical techniques allow our sports medicine orthopaedic surgeons at University Hospitals to more effectively repair shoulder injuries. Our team uses miniature cameras to identify labral damage and repair it through a minimally invasive labral tear surgery.

Arthroscopic surgery may be a viable treatment if conservative measures fail to relieve your symptoms. With careful examination of your entire labrum, we will be able to determine the severity of your injury. If your labral tissue is torn, we can repair just the tissue – or if it is detached, we will reattach your labrum back to the socket of your shoulder. We may also need to tighten the stretched-out ligaments so your joint stability is completely restored.

Following labral tear surgery, your shoulder and arm will be stabilized by wearing a sling for several weeks. Once the sling is removed, sports rehabilitation will be prescribed. Our specially trained sports physical therapists will show you how to perform motion and flexibility exercises to help strengthen your rotator cuff muscles, biceps and other surrounding muscles. Most patients are able to get back to their regular activities with full arm use in four to six weeks.