SLAP lesions, An Opinion Piece

SLAP lesions were first classified by Snyder in 1990. Results of treatment have been controversial without clear consensus. All have agreed that prospective studies would be useful. We conducted such a study between 2008 to 2114 that randomized treatment between sham surgery, biceps tenodesis and labral repair. No significant differences in results between the groups were found. Crossover between groups was only possible from the sham surgery group and this may introduce some degree of bias. However, the six month outcomes between all three groups before any crossover were statistically identical. Our results also do not favor biceps tenodesis versus SLAP repair when surgery is performed. Based on these results we have narrowed our indications for SLAP lesion surgery. We still treat some SLAP lesions surgically and individualize our treatment in each such cases. Most SLAP lesion patients, however, are ultimately treated non-operatively.