The labrum is a cartilage ring deepening the shoulder or hip socket. Tears are classified by location, with superior labral tears in the shoulder designated SLAP lesions.
MR arthrography with contrast improves detection.
Alternative Names:
Labrum Tear, SLAP Tear
Why it Matters?
Labral tears are frequently identified on imaging obtained after an injury without any prior study establishing whether they predated it, which is the central evidentiary problem. Age-related labral fraying is common, and the literature documents labral abnormalities in asymptomatic shoulders and hips. Correlating the reported mechanism with the tear location is the more productive inquiry than debating whether the finding exists.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Are labral tears necessarily traumatic?
What is the productive line of inquiry?
