SLAP lesions

Abstract

Lesions of the superior labrum remain a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the arthroscopic surgeon. Given the variability of the anatomy in this region, its controversial role in shoulder biomechanics, and the natural history of fraying of the aging glenoid labrum, few diagnoses generate as much controversy in terms of the decision and method of treatment as SLAP “the” tear. Andrews et al. (Arthroscopy 1:117-122, 1985) were the first to describe these tears in conjunction with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears in a population of pitchers in 1985. Later that year, the same authors reported specifically on tears of the superior labrum in 73 pitchers. In 1990, Snyder et al. (Arthroscopy 6:274-279, 1990) described a series of superior labral anterior to posterior lesions, as a subset of arthroscopic shoulder surgeries, and coined the term “SLAP tear.” Since these publications, lesions of the superior labrum have become increasingly recognized as a source of shoulder pain, and treatment of these lesions has become a common, and some might suggest overtreated, surgical intervention.