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Labrum Slap Tear and Frozen Shoulder

Posted , 9 users are following.

AJ12345
AJ12345

Hello All,

I've been researching this for quite some time and came across this website which seemed active. I injured my shoulder playing basketball 4 months ago. I have been doing PT for quite some time and eventually got an MRI. The results showed a Slap Tear Type 2. I went in to see the orthopedics and after checking my range of motion, he mentioned that I also have a Frozen Shoulder. He mentioned that it we should not perform a surgery for the Slap Tear until the frozen shoulder is better. He gave me a cortisone shot and recommended to continue two months of PT.

I was reading up on frozen shoulders and if it does not get better, surgery is required. My question is doesn't it make sense to get the surgery asap and begin rehab for both the frozen shoulder and the slap tear surgery? This way I don't waste twice the time.

I am an active guy, late 20's. I miss working out, playing basketball, and being active. I was hoping to get a surgery soon and start rehabbing but it seems like its going to be a longer process. Does any one have any experience with Slap Tear and Frozen Shoulder? Any Recommendations?

Thanks in advance

0 likes, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • LessrTuberosity
    LessrTuberosity AJ12345

    Posted

    Hi, i think you need to get the surgery asap. It is a long recovery after regardless o what youhave so u need to get on a path to healing. I recommend seeing a second ortho consult. You prob dont have a frozen shoulder, your arm is reacting to guard against the injury. I have had surgery three times in 8 months trying to correct a posterior labral tear, subscap tear and humerus fracture. I was labelled with frozen shoulder but noone is really sure. Labral tears can be difficult to fix and rehab so it takes a lot of therapy and patience. You dont want to waste another year waiting for stiffness to resolve first.
    • AJ12345
      AJ12345 LessrTuberosity

      Posted

      Thanks for the info. Im trying to get a second opinion schedule so hopefully that works out. Some of the things that I notice with my shoulder are similar to what you're saying (arm is reacting to guard against the injury).

      It’s frustrating because it seems like the doctors don’t listen to what you have to say.

      First my regular doctor said it’s a shoulder impingement (did physical therapy and it did not help)

      Then they say I’m developing a frozen shoulder and I should see the orthopedics. (Got an MRI and a Slap Tear Type 2 was diagnosed)

      Referred to surgeon (he said I have a frozen shoulder and slap tear so I should heal the frozen shoulder before we worry about the slap tear)

    • sharonsboyz
      sharonsboyz LessrTuberosity

      Posted

      A boy on my son's hockey team recently separated his shoulder and tore his labrum. As kids and hockey players do; he continued to play for a month and a half and finished out the season (they won their State Championships). His shoulder was appearing to be "frozen" (fortunately, lifting it above your head in hockey is not so necessary); but you are correct - it could quite possibly be all of the muscles surrounding the injury just "guarding" against the injured area... Any of these types of injuries really are a little bit "vague"; they don't know for sure - science is not an exact art and neither is medicine...

    • sharonsboyz
      sharonsboyz LessrTuberosity

      Posted

      I agree with you, wholeheartedly! Like I said, I am 8 months into my recovery and physical therapy after surgery for the repair and I am NOW dealing with Frozen Shoulder on top of that! If this young man waits for the Frozen Shoulder to resolve itself (which could be upwards of a year), he could be out of commission for two years after he gets the actual Labrum tear repaired (not to mention all of the damage and atrophy that is done to the surrounding area while your body tries to compensate for the injury). I recommend that AJ get a second opinion for sure... just my thoughts
  • betsy55041
    betsy55041 AJ12345

    Posted

    I injured my shoulder in Sept 2016 but hoped the pain would go away.  By December finally went to an orthopedic doctor.  Sent me for an MRI and diagnosed a SLAP tear.  He said they generally don't do anything for these types of injuries (esp at my age, 48) and to just take NSAIDs.  By February pain was so bad I visited a second doctor who followed a conservative approach, sending me for 4 weeks of PT.  I am registered for 4 half marathons with the last in September so I wasn't interested in doing surgery until then.  I strengthened the muscles around the shoulder with PT but in the meantime started developing pain when I was still, where I previously only had pain with movement.  My dr agreed I could wait until September for surgery.  My problem now is my mobility is significantly decreased and the pain is almost unbearable.  NSAIDs help to a point, but I'm sure taking up to 15 Aleves a day is not good (have cut it in half by icing 3X/day).  Now I'm afraid I might have frozen shoulder in addition to SLAP tear.  I'm having more difficulty performing basic daily functions and it's scary.  I'm seeing my doctor again this week because he had previously said I was OK to wait until September for surgery for the SLAP tear but I'm not sure I can make it until then with how the injury has progressed.  I have been holding my arm a certain way to avoid pain so I'm wondering if maybe the reduced range of motion is due to muscle stiffness instead of FS.  I've been reading about hydrodilatation injections in the shoulder for FS but I'm scared that will affect success of future SLAP tear surgery. I'm interested in following others' progress who have SLAP tear concurrent with frozen shoulder.

    • lena_47724
      lena_47724 betsy55041

      Posted

      I injured my left shoulder January, 2015 by falling on a wet floor. I had a small tear and went through one round of PT which seemed to resolve any shoulder discomfort /problems until June, 2016. Left and right shoulders, especially left, began to exhibit dull aches AND some ROM issues. My Internist prescribed PT, which was painful. Then, I went to my Orthopedic. He recommended MRI, which revealed worse tear in my left (SLAP IV) and inflammation in my right. He prescribed steroids and less aggressive PT, which was still uncomfortable. Then, at the follow-up visit, he recommended surgery to repair tear in left shoulder. In the meantime, I was taking Advil or Tylenol for inflammation and pain. This surgery would entail cutting my bicep tendon, then anchoring it to my humerus. I was desperate for relief, as my ROM was getting worse by the week. So, I saw went to another Orthopedic for a second opinion, just to confirm that I needed surgery. He recommended a more conservative approach, which I liked, since a few people had mentioned that surgery and recovery would be a long process and not necessarily the end of my pain and ROM answer. He recommended an injection on my left, since that was the worst shoulder, and PT. I opted net to do PT. Shot has relieved pain and increased ROM on left side, since April, 2017. He mentioned a less aggressive surgery to remove only scar tissue, Arthroscopiclly, without repairing SLAP IV, yet. Will have a follow up at the end of this month to consider shot for right and scar tissue removal on left. I haven't taken any meds, even, OTC, for pain or inflammation, on a daily basis, since shot. I have high hopes for surgery. He said that not all SLAP tears need surgery. He has one and opted for no surgery. He mentioned, if I'm not a huge sports player or lifting heavy objects, regularly, I could be fine without repair. So, remove scar tissue, rehab to strengthen shoulder and I'm hoping to live without daily pain, discomfort and increased ROM. (50 year old female)

  • emma56927
    emma56927 AJ12345

    Posted

    Hi, I don't know if it helps answer your question at all, but I have also been diagnosed with slap2 tear and frozen shoulder after MRI and shoulder specialist appointment.  

    Mine came from overextending my arm backwards playing tennis - I felt something in my arm go pop and assumed I had just pulled a muscle.  Kept things moving as you are supposed to, kept doing yoga for a couple of  months, even kept playing tennis for a while!  so I WAS stretching, but it just got more and more painful until I had to stop.  I am now 8 months post original injury.  I am 41 years old (female).

    Anyway, my consultant has said the slap tear is the more minor of my problems, and he has to get my frozen shoulder mobile again first, so I have a 3 day hospital stay scheduled for 2 weeks time when they will manipulate my shoulder and put a nerve block in and then give me intensive physio.

    Like you, I got researching because I am worried that by manipulating my shoulder, it is going to tear the labrum even further, and that is when I stumbled across this thread.  I would really like to have this confirmed as being a safe procedure to do with a known torn labrum, but can't find much info on it online.

    If the manipulation and physio doesn't work, then I will have to be admitted again for an arthroscopy and I guess they will do a labral repair at that point.

    Anyway would really like to know how the OP is healing up.

     

  • brandonb007
    brandonb007 AJ12345

    Posted

    hello. I hope I am not too late to this. I just had surgury on my shoulder from slap tear and now 2 months later I DEFINITELY HAVE A FROZEN SHOULDER! I like the other guy have been going to intense physical therapy 3 to 4x a week. there seems to be improvement but very little. so to the one who said you can not get frozen shoulder CAUSED from a surgery, you are 100% wrong. I am 36 and I had my injury 3 months before the surgery in which time I was not using my shoulder too much. Due to the ongoing pain I I finally decided to get the surgery followed by 6 weeks in a sling with ZERO movement of my shoulder. After finally being able to start pt, It is impossible to move not only from the pain but it is locked aka frozen. so I do intense stretching and it is unbearable pain. from all the articles I have read people are usually getting surgery BECAUSE of frozen shoulder. I would absolutely hate to have to get a 2nd surgery just because I had the first surgery!! Seems like a night mare and or medical neglect, like they perhaps did something wrong which caused my frozen shoulder?? anyone have better insight into this?

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