ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Type II superior labral anterior posterior (SLAP) lesions can occur in the setting of impingement syndrome. The authors compared the clinical results of patients who had undergone either an isolated acromioplasty or a combined type II SLAP repair and acromioplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2003 and 2008, a total of 75 cases of SLAP II lesions associated with impingement syndrome were recruited. In 39 patients, the type II SLAP lesion was repaired and acromioplasty was performed. In the other 35 patients, acromioplasty was performed alone. All patients were evaluated using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) questionnaire and range of motion. RESULTS: At an average of 33 months postoperatively, the ASES scores significantly increased in both groups (p<0.001) but the ASES score was similar in the 2 groups (p=0.278). However, there was a significant difference in the ASES scores when the competitive sports activity of the 2 groups of patients postoperatively were compared (p=0.014). The SLAP repair patients showed limited external rotation motion compared to the acromioplasty alone patients (p=0.026). CONCLUSION: There are no advantages in repairing a type II SLAP lesion when associated with impingement syndrome. However, type II SLAP lesions should be repaired in patients involved with competitive sports activity but the competitive sports activity should be limited for a better result.