I have seen many clients with post-operative shoulder labral repairs. It is a frustrating injury that takes time to recover from. Being the recipient of two labral repair surgeries myself, it is my opinion that the key to recovery with a labral injury is managing expectations.
Figure 1. A and B) Uniaxial loading of biceps tendon leading to SLAP lesion in the neutral position (Bey et al. 1998)
The shoulder labrum is a fibrous, or rigid type of cartilage. This type of cartilage is found only around the attachment of the socket. The two main functions of the labrum are to deepen the socket (thus providing added stability) and to be an attachment for other structural tissues such as the biceps tendon around the joint.
The labrum is typically torn from one of the following.
1. Damage to attaching ligaments of the shoulder resulting from repetitive actions or over-use.
2. A subluxation or dislocation of the shoulder, usually occurring from trauma. Dislocation can occur anteriorly or posteriorly.
Figures A and B show the subluxation uniaxial loading seen when holding a dumbbell. Figure two shows a throwing motion: Notice the detachment of the bicep tendon with the labrum. There are four types of SLAP classifications, which can be a factor in the recovery process.
I wanted to touch on how this injury occurs in order to point out the degree of recovery needed. Recovery depends upon many factors, such as lesion location, severity, and the quality of surgical repair. The Johns Hopkins orthopedic surgery website reports with regards to recovery that:
Figure 2) during the late cocking phase of throwing (Rodosky et al. 1994).
“It is believed that it takes at least four to six weeks for the labrum to re-attach itself to the rim of the bone, and probably another four to six weeks to get strong. Once the labrum has healed to the rim of the bone, it should see stress very gradually so that it can gather strength. It is important not to re-injure it while it is healing. How much motion and strengthening of the arm is allowed after surgery also depends upon many factors, and it is up to the surgeon to let you know your limitations and how fast to progress. Because of the variability in the injury and the type of repair done, it is difficult to predict how soon someone can to return to activities and to sports after the repair. The type of sport also is important, since contact sports have a greater chance of injuring the labrum repair. However, a vast majority of patients have full function of the shoulder after labrum repair, and most patients can return to their previous level of sports with no or few restrictions.”
The Johns Hopkins orthopedic surgery website does leave recovery time open for interpretation and dependent on each case. I feel that recovery typically takes longer than expected.
The recovery time can be separated into three stages. The first is acute pain stage (difficulty when sleeping), which usually lasts 4-6 weeks. This time usually involves a formal physical therapy process.
These elastic bands are great to use once your doctor clears you for resistance training.
The second stage is continued strengthening and stretching with slight discomfort (minimal to no pain). During this stage the patient/client will report “I still feel like I am going to dislocate and have this funny crackling in my shoulder”. This stage can range from 12-16 weeks (therapy to post rehab transitional stage). Don’t be alarmed. The labrum repair tightened the joint and likely causing minor pressure on the repaired tissues that are unfamiliar. This feeling will recede over time.
The final stage is the transition to your “new normal” lifestyle and exercise. This stage varies and could be 6-12 weeks of feeling “normal again”. Realistically, many patients are looking at 9 months to 1 year of total recovery time before they feel “normal” again.
I hope this information helps you when managing expectations. Frustration is common, and patience is key. The time frame may indeed be longer than you may expect, but it is better to manage your expectations and realize that you will have a “new normal”. Do not rush your rehabilitation, as many people find themselves re-injuring their shoulder.
Once you are in the resistive training portion of your rehab, these exercises are a must!
For more information on recovery after shoulder surgery, check out these two articles: Sleeping Comfort after Shoulder Surgery and When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?
By: Phillip Godfrey MES, PFT
Note: This article was originally written in 2011, and the content still rings true! Our author had gone through multiple shoulder labral repair surgeries and has some great advice in terms of the realistic time frames for rehabilitation and goals. In the physical therapy clinic, the post-operative protocols that came out around 2005-2010 are holding up well with time and are still commonly used.
Read More About Shoulder Issues
• What Does a Shoulder Labral Tear Feel Like?
• How Do I Stabilize an Unstable Shoulder?
• When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
• How Do I Deal With A Shoulder Dislocation?
• Is Sleeping On My Side Bad For My Shoulder?
• Why Won’t My Shoulder Rotate?
Thank you for this forum. My son had labrum surgery on August 17, 2017. He is a freshman in college and is playing college baseball. His throwing program has gone slowly and he has not progressed nearly as quickly as we expected. He made a hard throw last week and had severe pain and tried again last night and lots of pain. He is able to lift with no pain and hit with no pain. Do you have any thoughts on what could be going on? Is it possible that something is wrong or didn’t heal correctly? Can they go back in? Do you ever have a 2nd labrum surgery if something is wrong? What is typically the next step that we should take? He loves baseball and so badly wants to be playing.
Throwing full velocity at five months can cause some hiccups like that. It is a huge stress on the long head of the biceps, labrum, RC, etc.. I would have his throwing style analyzed by someone who is an expert. There is usually a regional PT or two who specializes in this. I do not think that there is necessarily anything re-torn. Many athletes take a year to recover fully. Try telling that to an eighteen year old…….
Dan,
I am almost exactly 10 months post-op of a right SLAP tear repair involving 5 anchors. I am writing to you today because although the doctor cleared me a few months ago to start doing more physical stuff, I have noticed some things things that still are bothering me. First, there is still slight pain in many of the same movements that caused pain prior to the surgery (abduction, flexion, having bar on my back for squats, etc). Secondly, I have pretty substantial subscapular bursitis (may have developed pre-op via awkward lifting movements due to torn labrum), and it has gotten 0% better post-op. And lastly, I have noticed that I cannot seem to get my shoulders to function/move evenly during lifts; for example, during assisted pull ups (very assisted, as to not incidentally damage my shoulder) my good shoulder seems to sit much higher than my bad shoulder, and during squats I cannot hold my arms in the same position despite gripping the bar at the same spots and placing the bar evenly on my back. I have been thinking about getting a second opinion and maybe inquiring about an injection as my original ortho seemed to think the bursitis was no big deal. What do you make of these observations? Do you think an injection will help? And do you know of any exercises that may help?
Thanks so much for your time and assistance!
Best,
Patrick
It sounds like there is some sort of muscle firing dysfunction with the scapular support. Before getting an injection I would get a fresh set of eyes on the problem. I would find a new PT and get an evaluation. All movements, strengths, and lengths need to be looked at.
I’m right at 4 Week’s after surgery, I tore ligaments and the labrum but I’ve made kindve a habit shrugging my shoulder i guess you could say to see if it’s feeling normal, but besides that and maybe moving my arm just a little to get comfortable i dont really Move it too much, it’s felt fine but now I have a little pain but not too much, do you think anything is re injured in it? Or should I not be worried about it?
If you tore the anchors from the motions that you describe, that would probably be a first. It is normal to have some pain like that.
Dan,
Quick question – I am 8 weeks post reverse bankart repair (with bicep tenodesis). Saturday I touched the hot stove and jerked my arm up and out some – I heard it pop (but I hear popping a lot which is normal as I understand). This time I am feeling some pain and burning – just curious if at this stage I could have injured the repair/anchors. I can use it just fine just have a bit of pain. I wasn’t sure how much pain is associated with reinjury. Thanks
You most likely just jarred the tendons, at eight weeks the repairs / anchors will typically be solid.
I am 12 weeks out of surgery I had a frayed. Labrum.my bicep pops when I try to move it and burns the hour the arm.could it be ripped or is this normal
Hello Doc, I have write you earlier also, Well its been almost 7 weeks from my slap tear surgery, in my last comment i mentioned a thing about my pt who tied a half kg weight on my wrist to perform pendulum.
Well i have recovered from the stifness i had earlier and everything was going normal i have improved my rom also.
well my question is from last 2 days i have lots of popping sound while doing forward pendulum, its not paining though but i have pain in my biceps tendon i feel like a knot there. Is something serious happening ? please reply i will wait.
Hello, I am 10 and a half months in a right shoulder Labral repair. My shoulder is definitely better than before but there is still some discomfort sometimes and instability, I can move it around on the inside. However my therapist says I already am doing all the work required to fix it. I don’t know what is taking so long I put in a lot of work but it is still not there. I am scared it was a failed surgery being a basketball player. I also have like a weird type of stiffness when I raise my arm to a 90/90 position and my therapist says it has to do with my neck, but after a few weeks of getting it massaged usually going to therapy once a week there’s little improvement. There’s also crunching noises and I can feel the shulker moving around in the inside. I am scared playing with the shoulder and suffering multiple dislocations for almost a year has caused my shoulder to be damaged beyond repair. Did I hit a plateau where I can’t gain any muscle? I do band workouts and do not go to a gym. Are there any specific workouts you reccomend? Thanks so much, any advice would help I am really stressed.
It will probably improve a bit more. I am a big fan of doing the scapular exercises over the exercise ball in addition to the rubber band exercises. If you take a look at the shoulder exercises on our site, they are at the beginning I believe. It does sound like perhaps you have a bit of a control issue with the scapular muscles.
Hi Dan,
I am 2 years post arthroscopic bankart repair (2 sutures and 2 anchors), rotator cuff interval repair and removal of loose body. My shoulder has felt great and I have not had any setbacks while weightlifting and exercising 3-4 days a week. However, just a few days ago I had a baseball long-toss for the first time since injuring my shoulder and during this session I overworked it and even felt a pop sensation. Although I pretty much have full range of motion right now, I have been very sore and experiencing the weak feeling of potential dislocation in my shoulder for the first time since I went through rehab post surgery. I do not want to rush things and wait it out by icing it and resting it before going to the doctor for any MRIs or x-rays. Could I have done serious damage or could it be that I just tore some of the cartilage and need to let it heal? Could I have damaged the anchors/sutures? (I remember the doc telling me that these disappear over time and are used to morph the cartilage back to the bone). Are there any specific movements or exercises to try in order to see if this is just a temporary setback? If it is a temporary setback, are there any exercises you would recommend to strengthen the shoulder back up?
Thank you
A long throw does place a comparatively large amount of stress on the capsule, tendons, and labrum. I would obviously let it rest for a week or two and see how it stands. If you still feel that weak sensation and / or pain I would see the ortho about this. There are a few test positions for the shoulder to see if the labrum is involved. If you look online you should be able to find a few, but this is probably better left to the professionals.
I am 6 months post op from a posterior capsulloraphy and subacrominal decompression. I am still experiencing significant pain in my upper back area of my surgery side as a result of the surgery. My PT advice was to get a massage its probably just a knot. I felt no relief from the massage and my surgeon just said give it time. I am unsure what to do as I’m bothered that I cannot workout properly or get adequate sleep. I appreciate your response as I am desperate to get back to normal. Do you know what could be causing the pain? What I can do about it? Is this normal?
Thank you,
This could be any number of things based on what you said. I would get a fresh set of eyes on the problem. I would find a very experienced and reputable PT and get a “hands on” evaluation. The muscle strengths and lengths need to be assessed, and the feel of the surrounding tissues and spine.
Do you know any in Michigan?
Thanks
I am having slap tear surgery and Dr says he thinks the will be 4-5 anchors due to it is about 180 degree tear. Reading all this scares me about recovery time. What difference is being in really good shape going into surgery on the recovery time? Thank you for your time.
That is a considerable tear. If you are young and in shape I would say that you will probably have a quicker recovery, but the typical protocols will always call for no active motions or loading the shoulder until at least 6 weeks. After the first six weeks, you will probably advance quicker than others.
Great! Thank you for the comment. I am 42 but I am in very good shape. Thanks again Dan.
Hi
I’m 8 months post opp slap tear 4 anchors grade 3 tear. My shoulder still aches like hell and I get a burning sensation around the joint. I also get a weird numbness I suppose you would call it, feeling down the back off my bicep. The surgeon is keeping an eye on it and thinks there maybe a small impingement. Frustrating painful opperation and no way I would go through it again
Hi! I am 13 months post labral repair, two anchors were placed. I had a bit of a longer recovery I developed a post op frozen shoulder. I regained full range by November 2017 and I have been working on strengthening with light weights at the gym. I have even been surfing a few times but I felt I had to be really careful when carrying the board. I have been nervous about lifting anything heavy. At work on Friday, I had to lift a relatively heavy item (for me) above shoulder level and it has been irritated and sore since then. This is something I could lift no problem before my surgery and I think most “healthy” adults could lift this item. There was no sharp pain or popping while I lifted it, but the whole shoulder, upper arm and shoulder blade has been irritated since, especially with outstretched and overhead movements. What are the chances that I damaged the repair or retore my labrum or how would I know how to tell? Thanks!
Hi Haley,
I too developed post slap/bankart repair frozen shoulder – I’m 6 months post op now and just had a cortisone injection – I have regained a fair bit of rom back but still can’t even imagine getting my abduction+external rotation movement back to how it was as it feels like the back of my shoulder doesn’t have line of strength there anymore that it used too.
Did you have anything like this?
Cheers
Ryan
Hi I’m five weeks post op and I had my arm out of my sling and there was a pop that happened and now my shoulder is sore it was when I put my arm back in my sling that it happened.
Tendons do make popping sounds when they move around. If the arm motion was not quick and jerky or loaded up, it was probably just that. It may be sore for a few days. As always, ask your doc if you are concerned.
Thank you I for got to tell you your awesome for answering everyone’s questions
I am in desperate need of help and I realize you are probably one of the people who have some familiarity with my issue.
My son was an avid swimmer up through mid-high school at which point he stopped because his shoulder kept dislocating. He is now 18 years old and we have found that both shoulders were damaged badly with the dislocations. Physical therapy has not helped and we recently had arthroscopic surgery done on his left shoulder to tighten it up. His shoulder socket (scapula?) is not very deep (flat) and there is not much of a socket for his arm bone to fit into. They tried tightening the cartilage but the surgery has failed and now his shoulder “falls” out of socket when ever he relaxes his muscles.
I am asking for any information you might have either on 1) next steps from a surgery/approach/program we might consider and/or a specialist we can take him to. He is only 18 years old and does not deserve to spend the rest of his life living like this. Any information would be sincerely appreciated. We are willing to travel anywhere in the US to get help on this, but if it is important, Porter attends Purdue University and lives in Atlanta, GA.
If the surgery was recent, I would perhaps give it some time to strengthen up. It is common for the shoulder to be lax when there is inflammation and weakness from the post-operative immobilization period. It is also important to know what direction he tends to dislocate into. This will direct the stabilization routine that a PT would have him do.
I do think that a second opinion is a good idea, probably both from the vantage point of an experienced PT and an orthopedist. I would call and ask around. I do have a contact down in Atlanta that you might get some good information from in regards to orthopedic referrals. Phillip Godfrey works for Medex Trainers in Atlanta and probably knows who the best people are.
Medical Exercise Trainers of GA 755 Commerce Drive, Suite 712
Decatur, Georgia 30030
[email protected]
Tel: 706.676.6663
I just had a labral tear and surgery about 7 months ago. I started to work out and do exercises to get it stronger. One thing I started notcing is that my shoulder has started to become more sore and some of the movements give me a pinch like sensation that makes me twitch when it happens because of them pain. This weird feeling also happens at times when I am laying in bed.
Should I be concerned that I am feeling some soreness and pain on the shoulder as if it has a very minial chance to pop again?
What steps should I take to make the shoulder better if working out only seems to be making it more sore?
Thank you in advnaced!
I would think that the mechanics of the shoulder and the shoulder blade needs to be looked at. A good PT should be able to do that.
Hello,
I have a long history of injury my shoulder while playing both competitive baseball and volleyball. After I stopped playing shoulder was fine, but as I got closer to 40, I injured my shoulder in a yoga pose and heard it pop. I was assessed and an MRI showed labrum tear. 2 years ago I had the anterior labrum repaired. Recovery was going excellent and then reinjured it at about the 3 month mark. This time posterior labrum. Had it evaluated again over the course of the next year and had a second surgery Nov2017. Front labrum had healed but sutures had come loose. Removed those and repaired the posterior labrum. Much tougher recover with lots of grinding, but minimal pain. Back to playing guitar for upto 5 hours. At the three month mark reinjured again, but didn’t seem as traumatic as the first time, but cannot play guitar anymore for more than 10-15 mins and am feeling a lot of pain and discomfort in the front of the shoulder/pec and sharp pain at times in the posterior labrum. I’m aftaid I’ve retore again, although the surgeon doesn’t think so. It’s been 2 months since the reinjury and although I’ve made some ground with PT working on strengthening scaps, pain seems to not be subsiding. I’m awaiting an X-ray and likely ultrasound and have been trying dry needling and IR cold laser therapy (I purchased an instrument and give myself treatments several times per week).
I’m at a loss as to what to do, ride it out, accept the limitations or pursue another surgery and put myself in a bubble for 6 months… I didn’t realize the propensity to reinsure would be so great.
Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Ryan
It does sound like a perfect storm of throwing type sports history (risky) probably coupled with some sort of soft tissue propensity to injury. If it were me I would lay low and try my best to avoid another surgery. The viability of the soft tissue and outcome measures do get worse as we get over 40. I would not even think about doing anything loaded or that places undue stress on that shoulder for at least a good month. Let it heal. After that I would start a basic scapular and RC routine with the guidance of the PT, twice a week tops.
Thank you very much for your suggestion. It’s in line with what I’ve discussed with my physiotherapist here. I’ve gone back to basic isometrics and will rest it.
Thanks again.
Hello, I am about 11.5 months in a partially torn labrum repair on my right shoulder, I still have instability and I have been going to the gym for the last month. Im a basketball player and it really bothers me that I am not at that point to play yet, I do not want to sit out another year. I was shooting around yesterday and from a far distance I felt almost my shoulder move just a little bit right after I let the ball go, with minimal pain afterwards but before surgery it would’ve definitely popped out. However, I am pretty much weak at a 90/90 position of external rotation and I hear a definitive 1 click in my shoulder when I raise my arm to that position and when I bring it back down it crunches and due to my instability I can feel the shoulder move around in the inside a lot. I can move my inside and it makes noises I try not to do it but it is still there. I was shooting around the other day and the front of my shoulder, maybe it was a tendon or something, started to hurt so I physically was moving it around with pressure from my fingers. I searched some videos and did some bicep release techniques and the shoulder moving around on the inside is still there but my shoulder in general feels less tight after doing about a 2 min stretch. Also when I reach my arm behind my body as if I’m about to throw something, my shoulder does a jerk when I move it forward, same with when I am laying down facing upward and put my hand behind my head, when I stick out my elbow further than the neutral position while in that laying down position and try to bring it to the front of my body, deep down in my shoulder it jerks to a different position. I am afraid to play basketball because if I was to grab a rebound, I feel like it would pop out as I don’t have strength when my arm is extended out like that. It’s definitely better than before surgery but i don’t know if I totally underestimated the recovery because it has totally dominated my life ever since surgery. I try to workout out in the gym every other day while doing abductions every once in a while with gray band and d2 flexion, I usually do the bands depending on what part of shoulder feels weak at that point in time because I am always touching it haha. Any help would suffice.
This sounds like this started out as an anterior instability? If that is the case (you can ask your PT about that in person), you would probably be a good candidate for the internal rotation exercise on your stomach with the towel placement under the head of your humerus. That exercise is in our shoulder exercises on the website videos. I believe that it is shoulder exercise #20. That might give you some more stability if you phase that in to your weekly routine.
No sir, it was a traumatic event while playing basketball I basically ran into the ball that somebody was holding with my hand sticking out and felt an intense pain afterwards, I played with it for a year I would suffer many dislocations during the day but still played through it, im scared it may be damaged beyond repair, my external rotation at 90/90 hurts and if I were to grab a rebound I feel like my shoulder would jerk around in the inside and it would hurt
Hello, my son had a labrum repair two years ago. He plays college football and usually wears a shoulder brace, however, he was not wearing it a couple weeks ago during practice his should got dislocated. The trainer or doctor on site put it back into place. He has been doing rehab and says it feels fine, (worries about junior year playing time I think) but hasn’t had an mri yet. Is it common for this to happen after a labrial repair? We see the original surgeon next week. Should we see someone else? I’m not sure what to do. Thank you.
If there has been a dislocation, there is a high probability that there is a new labral tear. I would definitely bring this to the attention of the orthopedist, so it does look like you are doing the right thing. I would not have him practicing in the interim.
Hello, I am 4 1/2 weeks post shoulder labrum/bicep repair. I just came out of my sling last week, was feeing well, and unfortunately I over-extended myself this past weekend as a result. I lifted my arm it to its limit while attempting to do some light yard work, and used some clippers to cut leaves back – utilizing my bicep. I definitely pushed it. As such I am now very sore, and very upset. The soreness has not really abated after a few days. I called my surgeon, he said that though I am out of the sling I should not be using my arm *at all* beyond what the protocol is for my PT. Until now my PT has consisted of scar massage, grip strengthening and gentle arm manipulation (all going well).
If the need to keep my arm still beyond four weeks is so important (should I even be brushing my teeth??) then I would think that this would have been made very clear. The protocol given to my PT is medical, there are no instructions for daily life. I feel very alone on this journey with one giving guidance about how my body will actually feel/how to be managing day to day. And now I am upset by the prospect of having screwed up. I guess my question is, how easy is it to compromise these repairs – – and would know if I had? Thanks in advance for your reply.
The anchors do typically take about six weeks to heal strongly into place. Your yard work activity was definitely too much for 4.5 weeks. Brushing your teeth and doing simple things (typing) at this point would typically be okay, but you are now going to have to allow that shoulder to heal for a week or two to calm down the inflammation first. It is possible that you compromised the anchors from that, but my guess is that you just inflamed the heck out of it. Have the doc check it out net time you see him and ask him the same question.
Active ranges of motion (gently lifting the arm up using your own power) usually is introduced at about 8 weeks. Keep that in mind. Baby steps.
Thank you very much for your reply, I appreciate it. Your forum is very helpful.
hey there i had shoulder labrum repair surgery in nov 2017 and Im a active so sitting still has been the hardest part of this…lovely ride … now june 1st it will be 7 months i got released for full dutiy back in mid apirl and so i went hard lifting 50 lbs boxs at work working out each week going up 5 to 10 lbs depending on how i felt that week so i went inn to see the dr to complain about pain so she gave me 15 mg of meloxicam so i took it it worked but then got off it and was shoulder pressing 60 lbs and working moving all day 5 6 days a week and some how last friday i hurt myself and took a week off work and the gym infact to day is day 7 and feeling a little better but i went to gym today and im ok i went light very light but not sure if i am ready to go back just yet ! i had a set backat at the three month mark and ever since then every month after that i have had a set back with my shoulder that would last up to a week or 2 then i would resume the weight s and be fine for two three weeks then increase weight and my shoulder would hurt for a week or too …. my question is does this sound normal at 6 and half months of recovery or perhaps maybe i retore it at three months and it never fully healed ?
if i ever fully heal ill know but intell then this is my first surgery and dont know whats what ? ahhh :(
Thanks
Chase R
It sounds to me like the combination of the gym and the physical nature of your work might be too much loading on that shoulder. I would back off the gym a bit and keep the exercises light for a while. The shoulder needs to gain strength a little bit at a time. Allow for at least two days of rest in between light workouts.
A lot of post-op shoulders do need up to a year to fully heal and gain back optimal strength.
Sir my son 20yr has a ?Slap lesionin Lt shoulder pain and to clear PT test like pull-up at training in Navy… already pshyotherapy done…is it advisable to go for Arthroscopy surgery to do defence set trg.
If he has tried the conservative management and physical therapy with no improvement, surgery could be an option. Please realize also that with a SLAP repair surgery he will not be at full strength for at least six months.
Hello, I’ve had a slap tear for a year and 7months now with no treatment. Going through a prolonged worker comp. Is there any suggestions you can give me for the pain? I really don’t know what to do and the pain is unbearable at times.
Strengthen up your shoulder rotators. I would start with internal and external rotations with rubber bands or cables. Get permission from your doc to do so of course.
Hello doctor, I have a quick question, I had a slap tear for over 5 years. 11 weeks ago I had the bicep tendosis and one anchor. It was a complete tear. I was laid off shortly after the surgery so I lost my health insurance. I have full range of motion right now but I have a constant pain still. 2 weeks after the surgery, my 165 lb dog who I have not seen in 2 weeks, got excited and jumped on me. I pushed her away with the bad arm on accident. It caused me pain for about 25 minutes and then calmed down. My arm was in the sling at the moment so it was a push with the sling on if that makes sense(front lateral raise with sling on). Does this sound like it would cause damage? My PT still sees me once a week. She says my strength and ROM is coming along good, but she does not really know about the pain. Is it normal to have this type of pain? The pain feels about the same as it did before surgery. I did not use any pain pills after surgery, and I always described the pain as similar pre-op. It was an old injury and I never had it looked at. I was able to workout fine, and had full ROM before the surgery, just constant pain. What are your thoughts on the pain after 11 weeks? Do you think the incident with my dog could of messed anything up? Thanks doc!
If you were in the sling that really would have prevented you from jarring the biceps tendon. The more likely explanation is that you just inflamed the surrounding tissue and rotator cuff. This will probably take some time to calm down. Pain after 11 weeks by the way is fairly common, even without incidents like the one you describe.
25 y/o, 2.5 months s/p right shoulder SLAP + Bankart repair with 4 anchors, and bursectomy. I did gymnastics style training on the rings 4 times a week. I think the problem was when I started training for the iron cross. I started to feel deep pain in the shoulder joint that would initially disappear every 2 weeks but the month prior to surgery pain kept lingering so I had it evaluated. Since surgery, I have been doing PT consistently 3 times a week for the first month and then 2 times a week for the last month. Additionally I have been doing PT at home since I am particularly struggling with supine/side lying external rotation. My arm can only externally rotate in this position 40 degrees with active ROM and maybe another 20-30 degrees when moderate external force is applied. As a reference, my left can externally rotate to 60 degrees with active ROM. I should mention that the external rotation is measured differently by the orthopedist and physical therapist. Ortho does the ER test with my elbow right next to my body and that’s how he gets it to 40 degrees without exerting too much effort. PT does the test with my elbow a few inches away and so can externally rotate my arm a lot more. (I don’t know which one of these is more correct but when my elbow is next to my body there is a LOT more stiffness felt when i try to externally rotate.) Should I expect to gain supine ER to 60 degrees? (Ortho says there might be need for intervention if situation does not improve.) Additionally there has been minimal improvement in the past month with forward flexion as it maxes out at about 170 degrees with passive ROM. My PT states this is due to my scapular muscles being stiff and that gross ROM in forward flexion is maxed out.
2-3 weeks after surgery, I also had jerked my right arm instinctively (got shocked by static electricity 3 times and then startled by a centipede), so I am also worried if this did damage to the freshly repaired labrum and may be a cause to the plateau I am experiencing. I recently started having some crepitus here and there without associated pain so all of these issues are giving me cause for concern.
You are only 2.5 months post-op, not having full external rotation at this point would not freak me out. If it is that way at 6 months, that might be another story. Continue along your path of rehab. These ranges tend to slowly improve provided that you are providing gentle stretch and not overloading the soft tissue. You should also give serious consideration to changing your workout routines once this is all behind you. 25 years old is young to have shredded your shoulder like that. If it were me, I would ditch the rings entirely.
Getting startled like you mentioned probably wouldn’t dislodge anchors. It might increase the inflammation a bit though.
Thank you very much for your response. I will be more gentle with PT stretching. If I could ask just one follow up, the rings aside, is there something inherently dangerous to the shoulder joint in doing handstands, front levers, planches, or handstand pushups? It seems to be my understanding that exercises that involve terminal elbow extension place more strain to the long head of the biceps tendon and may predispose someone to SLAP lesions.
Hi Dan, I am 21 years old and a college wrestler. I had surgery May 11th for a labrum AND rotator cuff repair. I think it was a considerable tear something like a 1-9 o’clock (I could be wrong) and they did not diagnose the rotator cuff until I was in surgery. (I had almost full ROM) I am so worried that I ruined my repair. Although pain is decreasing and strength and my very subtle ROM is getting better my shoulder feels so weird! Any sharp pain is near the front of my shoulder the rest is general soreness which doesn’t worry or bother me. The sharp pain happens when I accidentally “twitch” my shoulder. However, it goes away. Is this just extreme joint stiffness? If so what causes it.
P.S I have my follow up on the 25th (6 weeks relative no motion) and will start PT then as well.
Pain at this point given the amount of work that was done I would say is typical. The RC muscle(s) are healing and can generate some pain with sudden contraction, which is probably the twitching that you are reporting. Adding a RC repair to a labral repair does add a bit of extra time and annoyance to the recovery process.
Hello, I’ve commented 1-2 times in the earlier stages of my surgery and your comments/tips worked well so I’m back! 10-2 SLAP repair with 4 anchors
I’m now 14 months post OP and everyday life is great. Full range of motion, no pain with daily activities, etc.
However, I was a competitive lifter in both powerlifting and calisthenics/rock climbing stuff. Currently, my shoulder will still pop and get tired very quickly when performing certain motions. Other things I used to be able to do, like muscle-ups and handstand pushups, are completely out of the question because I physically feel if I even attempt them my shoulder will come apart, like one wrong move will destroy it. I’m trying to figure out how to make it more stable and have the confidence to get back into these movements if I ever can. I still hammer ROM exercises and my strength is back to 80% of pre-surgery. I’m still doing all of my stretches, rows, and the things from PT that were supposed to help.
I really want to perform competitively again in those extreme ranges of motions – handstands, muscleups, rockclimbing, dips, but need more advice.
Thank you so very much
Have you tried doing body blade exercises? I have found the “body blade CXT” model to be a great way to build up the rotator cuff in a safe way. I start people with the elbow at the side and progress to a more “scaption” position over the course of several weeks. I believe that there is a link for the body blade under our “products” tab. I am also a huge fan of the exercise ball “i’s, t’s, and y’s”. the most weight that I would ever use in the hands with this exercise is a pound or two.
I have not, I will give them a search now and try them out.
Thank you very much! It means a lot
I am 3 months post op from torn labrum surgery, on my right shoulder. I am still hurting when I do too much stretching and my neck be hurting bad. I have worked at my job for 18 years, where my injury occurred. I am a patient transporter at a hospital. I transport patient by wheelchairs, carts and beds. But I injured myself at work by pulling on a steel hydraulic cart that got stuck in the morgue. Now my job is trying to rush me back to work, even though I am still doing physical therapy. I’m not ready because of the pain that I’m still experiencing. My question is how long do it takes to fully get my arm back to 100 percent because my job has NO light duty? I feel that my arm will never be the same even after all the rehab. I am currently looking for another job within the hospital. And also is it possible to request for temporary disability from my doctor until I am able to return back to work?? Note: My neck still hurting came with the original injury.
I would say another 2 months of rehab and recovery would be a good idea. If the hospital is giving you a hard time, I would talk to a lawyer about it. You should also bring up your concerns to your doctor.
Hello, I am now 13 months after a r shoulder bankart repair on labrum, so for the first few months everything was good but then after progress in terms of strength building was really slow, but I didn’t have pain or anything like that. Soon, problems that I had before surgery like being able to move my shoulder inside when sitting straight up came back again, without pain, and clicking started when I raise my arm overhead and when I move it front and back in external rotation at a 90/90 angle, with no pain. I have started to play basketball again and I feel way better than I did before surgery, but still am favoring my left side. I am getting stronger but I believe there are some issues that may need another surgery which I totally don’t want to do at all. My orthopedic raised my hand overhead and was perplexed at the clicking and didn’t know what it was, and said he thinks it may be a hillsachs lesion I believe as he called it, and I searched up for treatments online but the sources online don’t provide any useful information. I also notice that my shoulder hangs a bit low and I can feel a gap (a gap that I mentioned to doctors after surgery and they said it was nothing) and when I either flex my arm or raise my shoulder a bit to like put it back in place it feels more normal. Again I don’t have any pain but I don’t want to live my life with bad shoulders as I’m only 19 and my left shoulder also shows some instability. So my question is what would I have to work on to fix this hill sachs and just make my shoulders perfectly healthy again.
Hi Dan,
I am around 8 months post labrum surgery. Everything has healed well although I have been left with adhesive capsultitis, which I was informed is frozen shoulder? I have read online that this can take up to 3 years to heal without treatment so I just wondered what you recommend to speed this process up?
Many thanks,
Kyle
See a PT about it. You might be able to have the shoulder worked on, but it does depend on which “phase” you are in. During the early phase, stretching may not be advisable. During the latter phases manual work and stretching tends to help. A PT should be able to tell you where you are in that process.
Hi Dan,
Wow, I’m really impressed at your knowledge, experience, and responsiveness here. I’m a physician myself (though know relatively little I’m realizing about orthopedic surgeries and recovery from them), and your responses are thoughtful and timely.
I’m 13 weeks out from an arthroscopic labral tear repair (anterior inferior tear with 3 anchors placed + SLAP tear with 1 anchor placed). My symptoms before the repair were anterior left shoulder pain and neck pain/stiffness occurring about a day after any overhead lifting.
Since the repair, I’d been doing great and slowly regaining ROM and strength — I’m still missing a lot of ROM, but it’s progressing. We have a new baby at home, though, and lifting him extensively the other day left me with a lot of pain.
The pain I’m feeling, though, is exactly like the pain I had pre-operatively (anterior shoulder pain + neck pain/stiffness). In your experience, is it common to (1) have neck pain/stiffness with a labral injury (my neck X-rays have been unrevealing), and (2) have recurrence of the same pain I experienced pre-operatively even though I’ve undergone repair?
Just curious. I suspect with some rest this will get better, but there’s a lot of uncertainty going through this recovery! Thanks so much.
The neck pain is very common post-operatively, but I would say that it is more a result of either using a sling or having the shoulder in a protective forward position with the elbow partially flexed. Since you had the pain before this surgery I would gather than you have a problem with the resting position of your scapula on that side. This can be tricky to diagnose at this point because the pain from the surgery will probably mask your normal scapular position. Once this is all recovered I would get a fresh set of eyes on your alignment. I have a sneaking suspicion that you have either a depressed and / or abducted scapular position that is feeding into the big picture.
Having similar shoulder pain is also common. This should subside the further away you get from the surgical date. This can certainly take some time though, six months to a year. You will get there. Patience. You will certainly be an expert on realistic timelines for shoulder surgery recovery once this is all done. I find that medical professionals who have had this stuff done make the best clinicians!
Thanks so much! This is really thoughtful advice. And yes, my empathy has grown exponentially having been through a major orthopedic surgery like this!
I am 6 months post arthroscopic labrum surgery, anterior plication and ganglion cyst decompression – I have developed adhesive capsulitis and am slowly getting rom back & have just had a cortisone injection.
When I injured my shoulder it felt as though something was pulled forward from my posterior shoulder forward. It felt like the line of strength up the back of my arm to my shoulders (I’m guessing long head of triceps line up into the attachment of the deltoid to the acromion) has gone – I couldn’t feel a contracting sensation in the back of my armpit like I did before – 6 months post operation I still can not feel this (I was hoping it was just the adhesive capsulitis but as that is slowly resolving it still isn’t coming back and now I’m thinking the surgeon missed something) the surgeon said I had an axillary nerve palsy which would have made sense but he said it is now fully resolved? I still don’t have that same feeling around the triceps line up into the deltoid acromion origin.
What is going on here? I feel so unsymmetrical compared to before the incident/operation that it makes me feel sick and anxious
Nerve palsies can take quite a bit of time to resolve, as can frozen shoulders. I am guessing what you are feeling might be some combination of the two. You probably also have a certain lack of strength in the rotator cuff and scapular support, which could also lend into the sensation that you are feeling. Unfortunately the frozen shoulder can take quite a while to abate, so it may be some time before this is all sorted out. I don’t think that you are doomed though. Hang in there, and let time do its thing.
I had surgery for a frayed Labrum 12 weeks ago.4 weeks in I experienced. Some bruising when i tried to move it advised.it then was extremely sore for 2 weeks until I started rehab.12 weeks in when I move my arm the bivmcep and triceps burn bad and when I use the bands my bicep pops.does this mean its damaged or is this normal?
Probably fine. When the strength is off tendons can make clicking noises. Make sure you gat a day of rest in between work out sessions.
Hi,
I’m 23 months post op for left SLAP tear and bicep Tenodesis surgery. I do physical labor for a living and find my shoulder still sore daily. I have excellent ROM (as much as pre injury) but certain angles still send what I describe as “lightning bolts” down my shoulder and arm. Very brief but very intense. The original tear pain I had before is gone but my shoulder clicks (sometimes painful) a lot, almost like a grind. Is all this normal? I was told it could feel pain for years after surgery but is this normal? I ice it regularly. Anything else I can do?
I have the same injury on right shoulder. Tore both labrums when I was 29. 36 now. Hoping to get right shoulder done by 40.
Appreciate any insight or opinion you can provide. My best and thanks to you.
For 2 years post-op I would get an assessment from a PT and see if anything else can be improved on in terms of rotator cuff and scapular support strength. This might be mechanical / strength in nature.
Thank you for the reply. Appreciate it.
I just had an open Bankart surgery repair on my left shoulder six days ago for a Hill-Sachs lesion and chronic dislocation. I did have an arthroscopic Bankart nine years ago on the same shoulder and it failed. On day three after my surgery I went to grab a plastic bottle with my right hand and the lid came off and instinctively I accidentally tried to grab the falling bottle with my left hand which was a forward jerking motion. I instantly felt an excruciating sharp pain in my shoulder and literally fell to the floor and cried for an hour because of the pain. I took my ibuprofen and Percocet and went to bed. The pain eventually subsided. Today, six days post surgery, I was walking and my shoulder felt like it was trying to dislocate, almost like a spasm. It was super painful and I iced it right away. Now I am really worried I might have damaged the anchors when I tried to catch the bottle. I go to my first post-opt appointment in two days. I. have had my arm in a sling 24/7 per doctor’s orders and have tried to be very careful and not use my shoulder at all. Does it sound like I did some damage and should I try to move my appointment up a day? I am so worried and not sure what to do next.
There is an outside possibility that something happened to the anchors with the jerky motion, but I doubt it. This sounds more like just a bad strain. The loose feeling is actually quite common due to the insufficiency of all the muscles right now. I wouldn’t freak out about this, just clue the doc in on everything that has happened. I really shouldn’t give you advice in regard to when you should see the doc. If you are worried and can get an earlier appointment I am sure that can only help.
Thank you so much for getting back with me. I have decided to calm down, take it day by day, and keep my appointment for tomorrow morning. Hopefully all is well.
Hey Dan,
I am currently 18 weeks off of my second surgery on my right shoulder. I had one anchor placed in labrum and one anchor for a smaller bicep tear. I have felt great from day one, my surgeon must of have done a great job. No issues whatsoever, my only concern now is my therapist I was seeing was extremely cautious and slow compared to the last time I did this. I see the doctor in 3 weeks assuming to be cleared for more activity but I feel my therapist was very slow and my strength isn’t where i really want it. I have been working out very light weights. No more than 10 pounds on curls or really anything. Can I start amping up my workouts a little more? I’m just not sure where I should be at right now and how extensive my workouts can be. I have no one to ask but you! Thanks much
Kurt
Hey Dan,
I am two weeks post left shoulder anterior (3 anchors) and posterior (2 anchors) tear repair. I no longer have any pain, but every once in a while I make an awkward motion and it sort of feels like my shoulder slides forward and there is a quick shock of pain but it goes right away. It never feels like it pops back so I doubt it’s actually sliding out, but it still concerns me. Is it something that I should be concerned about or is it normal feeling after surgery?
I have also started working out again. I use a stationary bike and lift lower body (squat machine that puts the weight around my waist, lunges with dumbbell in right hand, RDLs with dumbbell in right hand) and right arm(biceps, triceps, and one arm press). I take things slow and make sure I’m not doing anything that causes me to bounce. Am I doing too much too early? Am I putting too much stress on my body overall, not allowing my shoulder to heal?
That description is common for a few weeks post op. In terms of the work out, that sounds safe to me. Just listen to your body and ease off if you feel over-tired.
Hey Dan,
I wrote you earlier and i’m writing again as i am in desperate need of your help.
I’m from India and i had an slap tear from 10 to 2 clock and it was fixed by one titanium anchor 5 months back.
Just after the first month the pt tied an half kg weight on my wrist and asked my to perform pendulum exercises. Though it caused much trouble to me my arm was sore and was paining for almost 3-4 days after that it was fine.My doctor said the repair is not compromised and it will be fine, I also have an scapular dyskenisis which my doctor said is because of the slap tear though after surgery the scapular dyskenisis has improved and it dosent bother me that much but it still pains & it is protuding by a inch which i can feel while sitting. My arm still pains whenever i woke up in morning and it bothers me that maybe my repair is damaged.
I need your help regarding the scapular dyskenisis problem and to make my repair more strong so i could do more physical work.
Please respond i need your help.
Hello. I had a labrum surgery for a back instability (back of shoulder) last april. The first year I had a PT who seems to have been a very bad one, she did very insufficient work. I now (after a year) have a new PT who is very effective, she manually pushes the rotator cuff to get in position, gives me great exercises, etc. I’m not starting to feel like I am actually coming back to full ROM and full use of the arm.
I have a few questions: is it possible to re-tear the labrum? Yesterday I had my shoulder in an awkward position and when I moved the arm I had a pop and felt the “ball” move inside my shoulder. Is this bad?
Also, can I expect the pain and discomfort to ever go away? the pain right now is at 4/10 but my shoulder still feels uneven compared to my un-injured one. For example, when riding a bike the injured shoulder feels like it’s in a higher position than my un-injured one. Same when I do exercises such as row, shrugs, etc, the injured shoulder always feels un-even. I’m currently working hard on rehabilitation and it is giving me good results.
Sincerely,
Eric.
I think that the strength of the shoulder blade muscles needs to be looked at in your case. I do think that you can probably improve the positioning of your shoulder with time and appropriate exercise. It is of course possible to re-tear the labrum, but the ball moving in the socket might actually be scar tissue or tendons gliding over the bone.
Final question, when performing exercises should ROM always be before pain is felt? For example, when doing external rotation at about 75 degrees from stomach feels tight and good but when maybe going to 80-85 degrees a degree of pain and discomfort is felt. What is the appropriate range to stop the ROM at?
hi my names John I tore both my labrums two years ago (in eighth grade) but I didn’t know and I kept playing sports until ninth grade (I play football and wrestle) which led to me not even being able to move my arms. I later found out I tore both my labrums really bad and I got surgery for my left shoulder in January of this year, and surgery for my right shoulder in March this year. However I am still feeling weird and awkward pains and some of these pains feel like I re tore my shoulder again. I went surfing yesterday and my shoulders were really sore and kept hurting, it’s nothing severe but I’m worried what will happen when I start playing sports again in august. Is it normal to have somewhat of frequent pains and feelings in your shoulders after a labrum repair operation? Please get back to me
also my surgeon said that it’s normal to have some pains and that it might just be scar tissue and other stuff but I’m just really worried because I’m not sure what to expect and if this is normal or not
also my surgeon said that it’s normal to have some odd pains and that it might just be scar tissue and other stuff but I’m just really worried because I’m not sure what to expect and if this is how my shoulders are suppposed to feel or not
I would make sure that the strength of the shoulder blade muscles and the rotator cuff muscles are being addressed with training. If you need guidance in terms of what to do, talk to your PT about it. It is pretty normal to have some pain up to a year after the surgery.
My daughter had SLAP tear repair in 5/25. Day 5 post op they started PT. She is now into 10th week post op and continuing to strengthen her arm. A teammate had same surgery 4 weeks after daughter. Went today for 2nd post op ( no PT after surgery only in sling whole time). Was told today she was healed and cleared to return to sport …
Ummmmmmmmm, that seems a bit odd to me. I would run that by the doc again and your PT.
Hey Dan,
Peter this side, Recently tore my labrum and had surgery to fix it, Everything is fine and its been almost 16 weeks from my surgery.
I have few questions what exercises would you recommend me to improve the strength of serratus anterior muscles as i am suffering from winging scapula, I have bulging disc from c4 – c7.
And one more question can i have cupping therapy on my operated part of ahoylder, neck & shoulder blade muscles as it would reduce the pain that i’m suffering.
The serratus anterior is innervated by the C6, C7, C8 nerve roots. It is possible that the disc bulges might be inhibiting the action of that muscle. That might make training this muscle a bit more tricky. There is a modified wall push up that we have in the exercise prompt on the website. That might be useful to do, but I would run this by your PT and the doc.
I am not that familiar with the contraindications of cupping. I would ask the treating PT about that.
Hey Dan,
I had 2nd surgery March 8 for one one anchor in labrum and torn bicep so am now about 22 weeks out. Was cleared by doctor the other day to resume activities(golf). Shoulder is feeling strong but still has feelings occasionaly which make me nervous because I used to dislocate. Really want to feel more confident with shoulder before I begin swinging the club again. Which workouts do you recommend particularly better to build the shoulder for golfing. Thanks much,
Kurt
Hi There,
Thanks for this very informative article and talk show.
I had surgery to repair Bankart lesion (2-6 ‘o’ clock) last week (02.08.18).
Yesterday (08.08.18), my PT asked me to do shoulder rolls, i.e. to rotate shoulder slowly clockwise, followed by anti clockwise, 10 reps each time, 3-4 times a day. This caused me a lot of discomfort and pain.
All other exercises have been pain free.
I have now discontinued it. I am worried if this was an error of judgement on their part. Should this exercise even be done at this stage for Bankart lesion repair? Or, is it only meant for those with rotator cuff tears.
What do you think? Is there a chance that it could affect my surgery/ repair?
Regards,
P
Rolling of the shoulder is a very basic motion that should not cause any trauma to the anchors. It may be that you have a lot of sensitivity given that you just had this work done. I would let the doc know about it, and talk to the PT about maybe trying something else that you might tolerate a bit better.
Great, thanks. I am relieved now. I let them know and it has been discontinued for now.
I’ll have detailed discussion with them during appointment next weekend.
Regards,
P
hi Dan
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise here. I don’t see much here on hip labral tears, but hoping you may have some insight on that. I’m a 44 y.o. male, and injured my hip years ago (15!) in a snowboarding accident that also left my with a lot of torque and twist through the body. After a lot of work from different modalities, my posture and alignment are now good, but there remains pain in the hip, and a recent MRI diagnosed it as a partial-thickness (nondetached) undersurface tearing of the anterosuperior labrum. The surgeon says I’m a good candidate for surgery and he thinks he can fix it. I’m just a little hesitant because there is not a long record to go on in terms of long term outcomes from this type of surgery (I understand they’ve only been doing it for about 2 years. The data I see shows about 50% of people feel better after a year). Do you have any perspective on this? Is it worth doing the surgery, and what might recovery look like? Currently I’m not able to do intensive activities (running, hiking, basketball, yoga) without it firing up the pain, and I do sometimes experience weakness and muscle failure. Is it worth doing the surgery? I’d love to get back to these activities and be pain free if that’s possible.
thanks a bunch!
Steve
I would rehab the heck out of this thing prior to any surgical intervention. You may get a good outcome from strengthening any weak muscles and addressing any imbalances. The outcome measures for those of us who are over forty (40) are okay, but not as good as in the youngsters. Find a good PT who deals with these types of cases and get a solid assessment.
Hello Dan,
I had a bankart repair 6 weeks ago, 3 anchors at 1,2 and 4 o’clock position. So everything was going well, when at week 5, having started rehab on week 4, my mother was climbing a ladder with a heavy trolley trying to store it in a elevated built-in closet. When suddenly she lost her balance, and almost fell on the ground, had I not catched her from behind with my operated arm, I was wearing just the strap from my sling, that just holds my wrist/hand. So the move was an external rotation with the limited motion of the strap but with a lot of weight. I felt a lot of pain at that moment, but subsided right afterwards. Now, 5 days later, during the day everything is fine, but I have some minor sharp pain while sleeping. Is there a risk of having re-torn the labrum/broken the sutures/pulled out an anchor?
Thanks a lot for taking the time and appreciate for the input
PS: I forgot to mention that I worked out my shoulder before surgery a lot, and still have decent muscle strength
Given that this was within the 6 week anchor healing window I would say that it is possible that something happened, but based on your subjective pain reports I think that you “dodged a bullet”. Let the doc know about it obviously, and allow sufficient time to let it calm down.
Hello Dan,
6 weeks ago I had a bankart repair, I injured my labrum a long time ago from playing a lot of tennis without warming up, since I am an active person I’ve kept rehabbing my shoulder regularly with therabands, knowing that I would go somewhen under the knife. So I was quite fit before surgery, but just wanted to have my shoulder fixed to continue practicing the sports that I love.
5 weeks after surgery, my mom was climbing a ladder to store a trolley into an elevated built-in closet, suddenly she lost her balance and almost fell backwards into the ground had I not grabbed her. I was wearing only the strap from the sling, that just holds my wrist/hand. It was an external rotation with a limited motion because of the strap but with a lot of weight. I had a lot of pain at that moment, but subsided shortly afterwards. Recovery was going very well during the first 5 weeks, without pain and without meds; since the incident I have minor pain while sleeping, a stitching, pulling feeling. During the day it is ok. Is there a risk of labrum re-tear/anchor pull-out/suture breakage?
Should I stop with rehab until the pain fades? What scares me the most is anchor pull-out, I read horror stories of prominent anchors causing osteoarthritis.
Thanks a lot for taking the time and your assessment.
oh, I thought the message was erased, since it did not upload right after clicking.
I have seen now your answer, thank you for your prompt reply.
Hi Dan,
I have read in several studies and from the CEO of Arthrex, that the glenoid labrum only heals to the glenoid rim at the anchor drill holes, not in the space “between” the anchors where the glenoid rim is debrided to create a natural attachment of the labrum to the bone.
What is your opinion about this. If this is true, the only thing that keeps the labrum attached to the glenoid is just the anchor-suture.
Then my question is, what happens in a re-tear. Anchor pull-out can happen, suture breakage can happen, or are we talking here retearing of the labrum between anchors, if it ever re-attaches?
Hi Dan – thanks for this forum. There isn’t enough info about all this out there.
Two quick questions if I may.
1. I’m six weeks post a slap repair that did not involve my bicep. The pain wasn’t bad at all for the first five weeks. About a week ago, I feel like I hung a bit too low doing a pendulum. Since, my shoulder has been aching at about a 4/10 on the pain scale. My surgeon gave me naproxen for the pain and said not to be concerned unless it’s still there next week. It’s next week. Should I be concerned?
2. Like someone else said earlier, my shoulder seems almost incapable of moving past 90 degrees without my whole shoulder blade raising up. Should I be concerned about frozen shoulder or is it just really tight and it’s going to take me longer to loosen it up? It feels very stuck. Thanks!
The pendulum activity does not sound like it could have been aggressive enough to dislodge an anchor. Given that pain is par for the course with these types of surgeries, I would guess that it will eventually abate.
The tightness with movement could possibly the start of a frozen shoulder, but the doc would need to assess and diagnose this. There really is nothing that you can do about that other than ride it out and not be too aggressive about stretching.
Hi dan,
I have a few questions for you. I’m 31 and 6 months out from second surgery in 4 years on right shoulder. I had a lot of labrum damage first time due to dislocations. Second surgery 6 months ago was one anchor in labrum and torn bicep, I can’t complain too much but am still having weird feelings on the top outside of the shoulder facing to the side of me. I was doing shoulder shrugs holding 20 pound weights the other day and was getting weird small pains from that region of the shoulder. When I lift my arm up straight to its sides I get weird feelings also. Some sort of strengthing I need to do? Or just still early and will go away? I’ve golfed a handful of times but still not crazy confident with my self. Help what should I do, why is this doing this
Thanks much
My money is that this is probably a strength / stability issue. It is very common to see people with strength deficits six months out. I would have the strength and length of everything that surrounds the shoulder joint assessed and get an appropriate strength routine going. A “cookie cutter” routine may not do it for you if there are specific weaknesses. Find an experienced, vetted PT in your area.
I am coming up on week 3 post op for a labrum tear. I have chosen to do no pain killers since the day of surgery. Without the medication, what would my expected pain level be at? I’m starting to feel like a bit of a baby with the amount of pain I’m in. Also how long is it recommended to wear this sling, its driving me bananas.
Pain levels are highly variable, but I would say as a norm that considerable pain is typical. The sling? A month maybe? I would not get rid of the sling cold turkey by the way. The shoulder muscles need to gradually acclimate to holding the weight of your arm. I would start with removing the sling while you are sitting quietly and work your way from there. Get permission from the doc of course.
How can I tell if I have Frozen shoulder or normal post surgical stiffness? My supine and passive flexion have improved from below 90 to probably 120+. My pain and active range of motion are still pretty poor. PT has made some comments about slow progress, but if I’m seeing progress in range of motion, is it likely to be frozen or just stiffness?
That is a tough diagnosis to make. I would say though that the principle loss of range of motion is external rotation. If that is the case with you, this might indicate a frozen shoulder.
Dan, I tore my labrum at work and i had a bankart repair. I move about. 10 to 20 tons of ice in 42 pound bales and 20 pound bags. Do you think ill ever be 100% and do you think ill ever be able to do my job? Also they trimmed my rotators cuff and cleaned something out. How long will it take for me to be able to handle that kind of work and weight again? I fear they will make me resign thinking ill be reinjured
That is a very tough question to answer. My first thought is that given the high intensity nature of your job, the chance of some sort of re-injury is relatively high I wold also guess that your ability to lift with that amount of repetition might be limited. I would make sure that you are getting a good list of rehab exercises so that you maximize the strength of the rotator cuff and the scapular muscles. It is also important to make sure that you are getting at least a day of rest in between the rehab sessions. The timeline after surgery for return to that type of work is probably at least 6 months.
Hey Dan,
I had a labrum repair and bicep tenodesis just about 3 months ago. Rehab seems to be going fairly well. Passive range is getting better. Strength seems to be coming back slowly. However, I can not get past 90 degrees active flexion. Is it common for this to take so long to come back?
Yes, that is fairly common. Slow progress is good progress. I would however be somewhat concerned if you were having terrible pain with initiating this motion. It does not sound like this is the case.
There is definitely still a fair amount of pain and stiffness. Particularly at the end range of motion. Would you say that’s concerning because of the repair or frozen shoulder? I wouldn’t say it’s excruciating pain, but it’s noticable.