Shoulder Labrum: Episode 47

• In this episode: We talk about shoulder labrum injury. Mostly SLAP tears.

• Chip Review: Quillo – Fried Egg compliments again of Steve Kovisto

  • With a side of Quillo – Hamon Iberico (Episode 26 Adhesive Capuslitis/Frozen Shoulder) 

• Trivia question of the week: What is the most widely eaten fish in the world?

• Follow us on Instagram: 2pts_n_a_bagofchips and/or Twitter @2PTsNaBagOChips to see photos, video and get additional episode specific information throughout the week.

• Thanks for listening!!

Lets start with what the labrum is and does. It is a cartilaginous soft tissue that helps to deepen the relationship between the humorous and the glenoid. The bones that make up the shoulder joint. The bones have a relationship similar to a golf ball and tee, except they are at an 80-degree angle to each other. To keep the bones from falling away from each other the labrum, ligaments and muscles work together to hold them in place. When we see shoulder labrum issues we are usually talking about a SLAP tear. This is an acronym that stands for Superior Labrum Anterior Posterior. This potion of the labrum is where the long head of the biceps brachii attaches. The biceps will tug on the labrum and in bad cases pull the labrum off the bony glenoid. This can result in pain, clicking, loss of ROM and changes to function. Or there can be very little issue. The most common causes of labrum injury are traumatic, usually dislocation or participation in throwing and other overhead sports. Imaging, typically with contrast can be helpful in seeing a tear however, physical examination is very good at determining if a probably tear exists. The most common special tests: Apprehension with Relocation, Load and shift, Sulcus sign, Crank test, and O’brien test. Symptom pattern is often pain referral by the axillary nerve into the deltoid and teres minor as well as pain in the long head of the biceps tendon. With audible clicking and feeling of instability.

Other episodes you might be interested in:

Shoulder Pain: Episode 4

Upper and Lower Extremity Posture: Episode 8

Rotator Cuff Injury: Episode 18

Imaging: Episode 45