Shoulder Injuries: Labral Tears

The shoulder is one of the most complex structures on the human body.  It is a ball and socket joint encompassed by many different muscles, some which are massive prime mover muscles and others which are smaller stabilizer muscles.  What also makes the shoulder fascinating is that it has the ability to move in so many different ways.  The shoulders can retract, protract, elevate, depress, abduct, adduct, flex, extend, externally rotate, internally rotate, and can move through a full 360°.  Because the shoulder has the ability to move through a full range of motion it is more susceptible to injury.  The shoulder is stabilized and secure by a series of ligaments and tendons that can become torn or damaged when the shoulder is rotated or bent severely. When the shoulder is extremely rotated it can force the upper arm bone (the humerus)  to come out of the socket (glenoid) and cause what is known as a shoulder dislocation.  When a shoulder dislocation occurs a labral tear usually occurs with it.  

“The glenoid labrum is a firm, white structure that forms a ring around the glenoid cavity (the cup of the ball and socket shoulder joint).”1  The labrum is made of “fibrous cartilage tissue, which is similar to the meniscus in the knee.”1  Because of its suction cup effect to the joint, the labrum plays a huge role in stabilizing the shoulder.  When the labrum is torn, the shoulder can become unstable and a dislocation can occur. There are different labral tears that are based off the location of the tear.  The first is a Bankart tear which happens at the front of the shoulder, then a reverse Bankart tear which happens at the back of the shoulder, a SLAP (Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior)  tear happens at the top of the shoulder, and finally a 270° tear which is a combination of the previous three tears.1

It takes 4 to 6 months to recover from labrum surgery.  Many athletes have this surgery and still go on to have great careers.  In 2005, San Diego Charger quarterback Drew Brees dislocated his shoulder while being tackled.  He suffered a Bankart tear and had to have surgery to repair the damage in his shoulder.  The next season he signed with the  New Orleans Saints where he went on to win a Super Bowl and break numerous NFL passing records.2  Braxton Miller is another notable athlete that suffered from a labrum tear and after a year came back and had a productive senior season and is now being currently looked at as a top prospect in the 2016 NFL draft.3

References

1Labral Tears. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2016, from https://www.shoulderdoc.co.uk/section/896

2Cluett, J., M.D. (n.d.). What Almost Stopped Drew Brees Before His Epic Career? Retrieved February 14, 2016, from http://orthopedics.about.com/od/famousinjuries/p/drewbrees.htm

3Congeni, J., Dr. (2014). What a labral tear means for Braxton Miller and his future:Inside Children's Blog. Retrieved February 14, 2016, from http://inside.akronchildrens.org/2014/08/20/dr-congeni-talks-braxton-miller-and-his-labral-tear-shoulder-injury/