Slap+Tear

=__Slap Tear__= __[|Click here to see animation of a slap repair surgery]__

__What is a Slap tear?__
A slap tear occurs the same way all other labrum tears occur except it is more common in throwing athletes. Dr. William M. Green describes it as,

"A SLAP tear is an injury to a piece of shoulder cartilage called the labrum. This cartilage surrounds the shoulder socket, helping to keep it stable when you move. Your arm muscle (biceps) is attached to your shoulder by a biceps tendon. This tendon connects your biceps to the labrum at the top of the shoulder joint. A SLAP tear happens when the labrum is damaged where the biceps tendon is attached. This picture shows one type of SLAP tear. SLAP stands for Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior" (Green "Slap Tear" 1).

__What are the Symptoms?__
Dr. Green describes them as, "Symptoms of a SLAP tear may include: · Painful popping, clicking, or catching in the shoulder.  · Pain when you move your arm over your head or reach back.  · Pain when you throw a ball. An ache often described as being deep inside the shoulder" (Green "Slap Tear" 1).

__How do you find out if you have a tear?__
"A SLAP tear can be hard to identify, because there are so many other things that can cause shoulder pain and because SLAP tears are not common. Ways to diagnose a SLAP tear include: A series of tests in which your doctor moves your shoulder joint around to see which movements are causing your pain. [|X-rays] . [|MRI] . A special dye is injected into your shoulder before you have an MRI scan. When a dye is used, the test is called an MRI arthrogram. [|Arthroscopic surgery] . This is the only sure way to know whether you have a SLAP tear. Your doctor will make small cuts, called incisions, in your shoulder. Then he or she can look at the inside of your joint by inserting a tiny camera attached to a thin tube. The doctor may be able to repair the tear at the same time" (Green "Slap Tear" 2).

__Options after you find out you have a slap tear__
"The first step in treatment is to see whether pain medicine and physical therapy can take care of the problem. [|NSAIDs], which are anti-inflammatory medicines, may help the pain. NSAIDs are available [|over the counter] or by prescription. Aspirin, ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), and naproxen (such as Aleve) are commonly used NSAIDs. [LHS1]  Physical therapy includes taking part in a home exercise program, stretching, and avoiding activities that cause pain. If therapy at home doesn't help, your doctor may want you to go to a physical therapist for treatment. For many people, surgery is the only thing that helps. With [|arthroscopic surgery] , the doctor can get a close look at the injury and also do some repairs at the same time" (Green "Slap Tear" 2). 