Is Anatomical Healing Essential for Better Clinical Outcome in Type II SLAP Repair? Clinico-Radiological Outcome after Type II SLAP Repair

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that anatomical healing in superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) repair is associated with good clinical outcome. The purposes of this study were to assess the failure rate of anatomical healing after arthroscopic repair of SLAP lesions using computed tomography arthrography (CTA), investigate correlation of the rate with clinical outcomes, and identify prognostic factors for anatomical failure following SLAP repair. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of 43 patients at a minimum follow-up of 1 year after arthroscopic surgery for SLAP lesions or SLAP lesions associated with Bankart lesions. Twenty-eight patients underwent isolated SLAP repair and 15 patients underwent Bankart repair with SLAP repair. The anatomical outcome was assessed using CTA at 1 year after surgery. Clinical outcomes including visual analogue scale for pain and satisfaction and Constant score were assessed at the final follow-up. We investigated clinical failure that was defined as stiffness, loss of maximum rotation, deterioration of pain, and/or need for revision of surgery. RESULTS: Anatomical failure occurred in 32.6% of patients (14/43), whereas 16.3% of patients (7/43) had clinical failure. Clinicoradiological assessment revealed that clinical failure occurred only in 7.1% of patients (1/14) with unhealed SLAP lesions, whereas it occurred in 20.7% of patients (6/29) with healed SLAP lesions. Isolated SLAP repair resulted in a higher risk of anatomical failure (risk ratio, 7.0) than combined SLAP repair (p = 0.015). Nonoverhead activities were associated with higher risk of anatomical failure (risk ratio, 2.9; p = 0.041). Patients above 35 years of age had more risk of anatomical failure (risk ratio, 3.5; p = 0.010). Clinical outcomes significantly improved regardless of anatomical failure (p 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Since patients with unhealed SLAP lesions had less clinical failure than patients with healed SLAP lesions, anatomical healing does not seem essential for better clinical outcome of SLAP II repair, especially in patients with higher healing failure risk (isolated SLAP repair, nonoverhead activities, and above 35 years of age). Therefore, we believe the indications of SLAP repair should be narrowed to avoid overtreatment.

Arthroscopic Treatment of a Type II Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) Lesion Combined with a Bankart Lesion: Comparative Study between Debridement and Repair of Type II SLAP Lesion by the Status of Lesion

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate results of superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) repairs and debridement of type II SLAP lesions combined with Bankart lesions. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2014, total 58 patients with anterior shoulder instability due to a Bankart lesion combined with a type II SLAP lesion were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups: group C consisted of 30 patients, each with a communicated Bankart and type II SLAP lesion and group NC consisted of 28 patients, each with a non-communicated Bankart and type II SLAP lesion. Bankart repairs were performed for all patients. SLAP lesions were repaired in group C and debrided in group NC. Clinical results were analysed to compare groups C and NC by using the visual analogue scale pain score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Constant scores, Rowe score for instability and range of motion assessments. RESULTS: The clinical scores were improved in both groups at final follow-up. Also, there were no differences between two groups. No significant difference was found in terms of the range of motion measured at the last follow-up. The number of suture anchors used was significantly higher in group C than in group NC (5.6 vs. 3.8; p=0.021). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, it is considered that Bankart repair and SLAP debridement could be a treatment option in patients with a non-communicated type II SLAP lesion combined with a Bankart lesion (study design: IV, therapeutic study, case series).