New solutions for nagging shoulder injuries.The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. It consists of a complex arrangement of structures (ligaments, tendons and muscles) working together to provide the movement necessary for daily life. Unfortunately, this great mobility comes at the expense of stability. Certain work or sports activities can put great demands upon the shoulder, and injury can occur when the limits of movement are exceeded and/or the individual structures are overloaded. An important part of the shoulder is the labrum--a disk of cartilage on the glenoid, or "socket" side of the shoulder joint. Essential to shoulder movement and functionality, the labrum labrum /la·brum/ (la´brum) pl. la´bra [L.] an edge, rim, or lip. la·brum n. pl. la·bra A lip-shaped anatomical edge, rim, or structure. labrum pl. helps stabilize the joint and acts as a "bumper" to limit excessive motion of the humerus humerus: see arm. , or "ball" side of the shoulder joint. More importantly, it holds the humerus securely to the glenoid. The secure but flexible fit of the humerus within the glenoid permits the great range of motion of the healthy shoulder. When the labrum of the shoulder joint is torn, the stability of the shoulder joint is compromised. A specific type of labral tear is called a Bankart lesion Bankart lesion Orthopedics Shoulder instability due to detachment of the inferior glenohumeral ligament complex from the inferior glenoid, which is often accompanied by stretching of the remaining fibers, leading to shoulder laxity. Cf Position. Cf Beach chair position. . A Bankart lesion happens when an individual sustains a shoulder dislocation dislocation, displacement of a body part, usually a bone. When a bone is dislocated, the ends of opposing bones are usually forced out of connection with one another. In the process, bruising of tissues and tearing of ligaments may occur. . As the shoulder pops out of joint, it often tears the labrum. This is usually as a result of an injury to the shoulder, such as falling on an outstretched out·stretch tr.v. out·stretched, out·stretch·ing, out·stretch·es To stretch out; extend. outstretched Adjective hand, or due to overuse--common among athletes and weekend warriors. The main symptom caused by a labral tear is a sharp pop or catching sensation in the shoulder during certain shoulder movements. This may be followed by an aching sensation for several hours. Pain caused by a torn labrum varies from patient to patient--but ultimately results in an unstable shoulder--and can lead to many future injuries if not treated. Patients who sustain a Bankart injury are at much higher risk for dislocating their shoulder again. Another very common labral injury is a tear that occurs on the top of the labrum, extending from the front to the back of the cartilage. This is known as a SLAP tear Overview The shoulder joint is considered a 'ball and socket' joint. However, in bony terms the 'socket' (the glenoid fossa of the scapula) is quite small, covering at most only a third of the 'ball' (the head of the humerus). ("SLAP" is an acronym acronym: see abbreviation. A word typically made up of the first letters of two or more words; for example, BASIC stands for "Beginners All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. for superior labral anterior to posterior tear). This injury affects the attachment of the biceps tendon to the glenoid. An injury in this area can be extremely painful, and can cause the biceps tendon to rupture. In the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. alone, an estimated 150,000 labral repair procedures are performed each year. Fortunately, there are new arthroscopic technologies that provide surgeons with optimal access to the labrum for repair procedures. One such technology is the LabraFix System--a knotless arthroscopic repair technology that provides surgeons with an easy and fast labral repair. This system is designed to provide orthopedic surgeons with an enhanced arthroscopic approach to repairing labrum tears (Bankart and SLAP lesions) without having to tie complex and time-consuming surgical knots. The enabling technology has the potential to lower procedure costs by minimizing surgery time (it is faster than conventional arthroscopic techniques, enabling five-second direct, single-step suturing su·ture n. 1. a. The process of joining two surfaces or edges together along a line by or as if by sewing. b. The material, such as thread, gut, or wire, that is used in this procedure. c. and knotless fixation). When used on patients with torn labrums, the LabraFix system enables the surgeon to arthroscopically repair the torn labrum quickly and securely. Among the key benefits this patented technology provides is a strong and reproducible tissue-to-bone fixation due to a tissue tensioning mechanism, a superior bone lock or hold, and a secure knotless suture suture /su·ture/ (soo´cher) 1. sutura. 2. a stitch or series of stitches made to secure apposition of the edges of a surgical or traumatic wound. 3. to apply such stitches. 4. lock. The end result is a fast, simple and promising solution to a common shoulder problem. Chris Sykes is a freelance writer specializing in healthcare. |
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