Arthroscopic treatment of isolated type 2 SLAP lesions in athletes: A systematic review

Abstract

Superior Labrum From Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) lesions refer to a tear of the superior portion of the glenoid labrum that begins posteriorly and extends anteriorly to the mid-glenoid notch. Patients who sustain traumatic injuries to the shoulder girdle and also who undergo repetitive, overhead motions are at risk for SLAP lesions. Among the various types of SLAP lesions, type 2 lesion is the most common lesion encountered and is defined by 'superior labral fraying with stripping of the superior part of the labrum and attached biceps tendon from the underlying glenoid cartilage”. In superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) tears, a common concern for patients is being able to return to their previous levels of activity after surgery, whereas clinicians are concerned with providing a consistent prognosis of successful return to participation after surgery. Thus, return to play (RTP) and patient satisfaction can be used as a vital measure of treatment success which has been evaluated by significantly fewer studies, especially in isolated type 2 SLAP repairs. The published outcomes of surgical treatment are inconsistent, with variable and suboptimal patient satisfaction rates and RTP. Thus, we wanted to address and reevaluate the current treatment, rehabilitation protocols, and outcome following arthroscopic repairs in order to expand the knowledge and give further insight into providing better management plan in these patients. This study used a systematic review of papers reporting arthroscopic treatment of isolated type 2 SLAP lesions with the main objective in trying to assess the effectiveness of arthroscopic repair, to determine patient satisfaction and RTP at previous level of activity, and to analyze the rehabilitation protocols being followed among all athletes who underwent repair of type 2 SLAP tears using various types of fixation.