REVIEW ARTICLE


Superior Labral Anterior to Posterior Tear Management in Athletes



Cristin John Mathew*, David Mark Lintner
Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Tx 77030, USA


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Creative Commons License
© 2018 Mathew and Lintner.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Houston Methodist Hospital, 6445 Main Street, Suite 2500, Houston, Tx 77030. USA; Tel: (713) 441-3892; Fax: (713) 793-7107; E-mail: Dlintner@houstonmethodist.org


Abstract

Background:

The diagnosis and treatment of Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) tears have been evolving and controversial. The lack of clear diagnostic criteria on physical examination, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and arthroscopic evaluation clouds the issue. The high rate of MRI diagnosed SLAP lesions in the asymptomatic population of athletes and non-athletes warrants consideration when planning treatment for those with shoulder pain.

Objective:

To provide information on the evaluation, diagnosis and management of SLAP tears in athletes.

Methods:

The results of a structured non-operative rehabilitation program are discussed and compared to traditional surgical techniques. The evolution of the author’s treatment algorithm is presented. Results: The successful return to overhand throwing is more common with non-operative treatment than with surgical.

Conclusion:

A rehabilitation program focused on stretching the posterior capsule and correcting scapular posture is more successful than surgery for most throwers with SLAP lesions.

Keywords: Superior Labrum Anterior Posterior tear, SLAP, Overhead Athletes, Baseball Players, SLAP Repair, MRI.