Bankart+Lesion

=__Bankart Lesion__= __[|Click here to animatoin of a Bankart Lesion]__

__What is it?__
Dr. Jonathan Cluetts describes it as, "When the labrum of the shoulder joint is torn, the stability of the shoulder joint is compromised. A specific type of labral tear is called a Bankart lesion. A Bankart lesion occurs when an individual sustains a shoulder dislocation. As the shoulder pops out of joint, it often tears the labrum, especially in younger patients. The tear is to part of the labrum called the inferior glenohumeral ligament. When the inferior glenohumeral ligament is torn, this is called a Bankart lesion (Cluetts "Bankart Lesion" 2)."

__How do you know if you have a Bankart Lesion?__
Dr. Cluetts recomends, "Most young patients (under the age of 30) who sustain a shoulder dislocation will sustain a Bankart lesion; therefore, there is a high suspicion of this injury whenever a patient dislocates their shoulder. On examination, patients will often have a sense their shoulder is about to dislocate if their arm is placed behind their head. X-rays are sometimes normal, but they may show an injury to the bone called a Hill-Sachs Lesion. This is a divot of bone that was injured when the shoulder dislocation occurred. A MRI may also be obtained in patients who are suspected of having a Bankart lesion. Bankart lesions do not always show up well on MRI scans. When a MRI is performed with an injection of contrast, a Bankart lesion is much more likely to be seen (Cluetts "Bankart Lesion" 2)."

__ What happens after you obtain a bankart Lesion? __
You will most likely start to experience:
 * A sense of instability
 * You will have repeats of dislocations of the shoulder
 * You'll have a catching sensation in your shoulder
 * Your shoulder will begin to ache

__Treatment__
Dr. Cluetts recomends, " There are two general options for the treatment of a Bankart lesion. One option is to allow the arm to rest, and the inflammation to subside with the use of a sling. This is usually followed by physical therapy to regain motion of the extremity. The potential downside of this option is that people who dislocate a shoulder once are much more likely to dislocate the shoulder again. The other option is to perform surgery to repair the torn labrum. When surgery is performed, the torn labrum of the Bankart lesion is reattached to the socket of the shoulder. The results of surgery are usually very good, with over 90% of patients returning to their activities without any further dislocations. More and more commonly this surgery is being performed arthroscopically; however, there are indications in some patients who should have a Bankart repair performed through a standard incision (Cluetts "Bankart Lesion" 2&3)."