Glenoid Labrum Tear

What is the Glenoid Labrum?

The Glenoid Labrum is the rim attached to a soft fibrous lining of the shoulder joint socket. The actual shoulder joint is called the Glenoid and the Glenoid lining and rim are necessary to give added depth and support to the socket shape, which would otherwise be 50% too shallow to fully encase the 'ball' of the upper arm bone (the humerus) to form a joint.

The other purpose of the Glenoid Labrum is to act an anchor to a number of essential ligaments responsible for effective shoulder rotation, mobility and stability.

What is Glenoid Labrum Tear?

A Glenoid Labrum Tear is caused by a traumatic tear injury that results in pain, crepitus (cracking), catching, locking and restricted shoulder movement and joint weakness. 

Injury to the Glenoid Labrum is typically seen in individuals who experience a direct blow to the shoulder, fall on an out stretched arm or endure a direct and sudden pull when trying to lift a heavy object. This condition can also more easily develop in people over the age of 40 who work in an occupation or play sport that involves repetition of overhead arm movement. The most common type of occupations and sports that aggravate this type of condition are seen from painters, decorators, swimmers, tennis players, bowlers and weight lifters etc.

A Glenoid Labrum Tear can be partial of full and occur on any part of the rim. In the most severe of injuries shoulder dislocation or damage to other joint structures, such as the Biceps Tendon or the Glenohumeral Ligament may also be present.

How is a Glenoid Labrum Tear treated without surgery?

The use of regular anti-inflammatory medications and enforced rest of the affected shoulder joint for several months can often successfully alleviate this condition if it is caught at an early enough stage. In addition, physiotherapy aimed at progressively relaxing the traumatised Glenoid Labrum and building up general shoulder strength can also prove useful.

How is a Glenoid Labrum Tear treated without surgery?

A surgical procedure to resolve a torn Glenoid Labrum is typically avoided for all but the more severe and debilitating cases and those that have failed to respond to conservative treatment. Surgical intervention is aimed at repairing the torn Glenoid Labrum and repairing any other damaged tissues.

This procedure can be performed under general anaesthetic (you will be asleep) or under regional anaesthetic (you will be awake) and will take around an hour to two hours to perform dependant on the complexity of the condition.

It is increasingly common for this procedure to be performed arthroscopically (by 'keyhole' surgery) and further information can be obtained on this particular surgical method by consulting our alternative fact sheet entitled 'Shoulder Arthroscopy'.

What is the recovery like?

Once a patient is fully recovered from the effects of anaesthetic they are normally quickly encouraged to be as active and mobile as possible to avoid joint stiffness and other complications such as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) from developing. It is therefore normal for patients to be encouraged to take a short walk and perform gentle postoperative exercises with guidance from a physiotherapist on the day of surgery.

Following a progressive improvement of mobility and pain control patients are normally discharged from hospital 24 hours following surgery. By the time the required level of recovery is achieved for discharge, patients are normally fully mobile, wearing a light weight dressing and support sling on the effected shoulder, eating and drinking normally and taking only mild analgesia (pain killers).

Over the next 6 weeks patients will be expected to work on improving their new shoulder joints mobility and stability through a dedicated and progressive upper limb physiotherapy regime.

Your Consultant Surgeon will assess your joints stability and range of movement after 6 weeks and then again after three months to evaluate how successful your shoulder procedure has been. Patients should expect a continuous and full physical recovery to take around four to six months to achieve.

Are there any risks associated with a Glenoid Labrum Repair?

Although Glenoid Labrum Repair surgery is regularly performed without any complications, it is very important that all candidates are fully aware of both the benefits and risks of undertaking this type of specialist upper limb surgery.

All surgery, no mater how expertly or carefully it is performed, carries risks and the importance of a full evaluation and consultation with an expert in shoulder surgery to discuss your condition in relation to these risks cannot be over emphasised.

How do I find out if I am a suitable candidate for a Glenoid Labrum Repair?

Surgical Advisor will be delighted to help you find a leading expert in shoulder surgery to consult with. Your surgeon will carry out a thorough evaluation of your condition and provide you with a comprehensive explanation of the most appropriate surgical solution.
 
Our Expert Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons are most carefully selected and recommended because they understand the importance of the decision you are making when contemplating shoulder surgery and because of their specialist upper limb surgical expertise. Throughout your consultation you will therefore be encouraged to ask as many questions as you wish and to take your time in making a decision to proceed with any recommended treatment.

To ensure that all patients are comfortable with any recommendations or advice given in their consultation, patients are asked to go away after a consultation and think through all the information they have received. If for whatever reason you are still not sure about the best course of action and wish to have further dialogue with your surgeon, you will not be expected to pay for a second consultation appointment.

How do I make a consultation appointment?

For further advice on how to make an appointment to consult with an expert upper limb orthopaedic surgeon: 

Please call Surgical Advisor on: 0870 41 41 41 2
Or email us by clicking on: advice@surgicaladvisor.com