Patient Information Leaflet
SLAP Lesion
What is a SLAP Lesion?
A SLAP lesion is an injury to the part of your shoulder joint called the glenoid labrum.
This is a rim of cartilage around the shoulder joint cavity. Your shoulder joint socket
is very shallow so the rim of cartilage increases the stability around your shoulder
joint.
A specific type of labral tear is called a SLAP tear. This stands for Superior
Labrum from Anterior to Posterior. The SLAP tear occurs at the point where the
tendon of the biceps muscle inserts on the labrum resulting in a tear at the top of the
joint capsule.
NEED AN IMAGE OF LABRUM HERE
What Causes a SLAP Lesion?
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A SLAP lesion is most likely to happen from direct trauma to the shoulder, a
fall on the shoulder or repeated overhead activity
Athletes who play sports such as basketball, football, swimming, cricket,
rugby, GAA are at higher risk in developing such injuries due to the risk of
trauma and repeated overhead activity.
SLAP lesions can be difficult to diagnose and investigations such as MRIs or
an arthroscopy may be needed
Common Signs and Symptoms of a SLAP Lesion
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A throbbing ache in the shoulder joint
Increase in pain during activity and loading activities
Loss of strength
Difficulty sleeping
Joint feeling unstable
Pain persists after a strengthening rehabilitation programme
In cases of SLAP tears with associated biceps tendonitis, patients may
complain of pain over the front of the shoulder
Treatment
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Specific strengthening rehabilitation exercises will be designed by a
Chartered Physiotherapist to re-establish stability in the shoulder
region
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Relative rest - this means stopping doing the activity that aggravates
the pain but do not stop moving your shoulder. It may help if you can improve
your posture in sitting or when doing activities.
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Shoulder arthroscopy. This is a type of surgery to repair the damage to your
shoulder joint.