Shoulder Labrum Surgery Specialist

Samimi Orthopedic Group

Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine located in Brentwood, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Palisades, Los Angeles, CA & West Covina, West Covina, CA

If you play sports or have a job requiring repetitive overhead movements, you have a higher risk of eventually needing shoulder labrum surgery. At Samimi Orthopedic Group, Babak Samimi, MD, and David Eldringhoff, MD, specialize in restoring the health of your shoulder. They provide treatments ranging from physical therapy and PRP injections to shoulder labrum surgery to repair the underlying tissue damage. If you're ready to regain arm function and get back to your daily life, call one of the Los Angeles area offices in Brentwood, West Covina, or Sherman Oaks, California, or book an appointment online today.

Shoulder Labrum Surgery Q & A

What causes a shoulder labrum injury?

The labrum is a ring of cartilage that stabilizes the shoulder joint by holding the top of your arm in the shoulder socket.

The ball-shaped end of your upper arm bone (humerus) fits into a shallow socket in your shoulder blade (scapula); the labrum circles around the socket and envelopes the upper arm.

Injuries to the labrum often develop when you:

Make repetitive shoulder movements
Fall on an outstretched arm
Take a blow to the shoulder
Suddenly pull your arm
Dislocate your shoulder

One of the most common labral tears, a SLAP tear, occurs on the top part of the labrum, where the biceps tendon attaches to the cartilage. SLAP tears often affect baseball pitchers, weightlifters, and others who perform repetitive overhead movements.

What symptoms indicate I may need shoulder labrum surgery?

If you tear the labrum, you experience symptoms such as:

Pain when using your arm
Shoulder joint instability
Shoulder dislocation
Pain when lying on the affected side
Diminished range of motion
Loss of arm strength

You may also notice popping sounds, joint grinding, or feeling like the shoulder joint has locked up.

When do I need shoulder labrum surgery?

Before deciding the best treatment for your labral tear, your provider completes an exam and may order X-rays or an MRI. However, it often takes a shoulder arthroscopy procedure to find labral tears.

Your treatment starts with nonsurgical therapies, such as avoiding overhead arm movements, taking anti-inflammatory medications, and getting steroid injections. Your initial treatment also includes physical therapy to reduce your pain and improve your shoulder movement and strength.

Your provider may recommend platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. The platelets accelerate healing, decrease inflammation, and recruit stem cells to regenerate new tissues.

If you still have pain after several months of medical care or a diagnostic arthroscopy reveals a severe labral tear, your provider might recommend shoulder labrum surgery.

What happens during shoulder labrum surgery?

Your Samimi Orthopedic Group provider performs arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive technique using tiny incisions and thin instruments.

During your surgery, they remove torn or loose pieces of the labrum. Then they use anchors and sutures to reattach the labrum to the bone and repair the tear.

You can get relief from shoulder pain with labrum surgery. Call Samimi Orthopedic Group or book an appointment online today.

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