17-year-old Megha (name changed) is an excellent tennis player whose idol is Sania Mirza. Megha aspires to play tennis professionally, just like her idol. She works tirelessly, both day and night, to fulfill this dream. After a particularly ferocious shot during one of these practice sessions, Megha experienced shooting pain in her right shoulder. Her coach immediately put some ice on the injured shoulder and advised her to rest her arm for the day. For the first two to three days, Megha was not too concerned because she thought it was just a sprained shoulder.
However, the pain was not subsiding even after a week. “I could not even lift my arm above shoulder level, let alone try to play tennis,” claims Megha. Her arm felt weak and while she tried to fall asleep at night the pain seemed to intensify. Megha visited Dr. Banarji B. H, a shoulder specialist and orthopaedic surgeon at the Dr. Banarji Shoulder Center in Bengaluru, out of concern that this shoulder injury might end her tennis career.
In order to determine the kind of injury Megha had, Dr. Banarji tested Megha's range of motion and performed an MRI on her shoulder. After a thorough examination, Megha's right shoulder was found to have a type 2 Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) tear.
"SLAP tears occur when trauma or repetitive stress cause damage to the fibrous labrum that covers the shoulder socket. Since the bicep muscle and these labrum tissues are connected SLAP tears frequently result in the detachment of the bicep anchor,” explains Dr. Banarji. SLAP tears are divided into four main categories based on their severity and whether or not the bicep anchor is also detached.
Typically, nonsurgical treatment is the first line of defense against SLAP tears. This includes administering non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), physiotherapy, and adequate rest. In Megha's case, however, this would not be sufficient to produce the desired results because her SLAP tear was also accompanied by a biceps anchor detachment. “Considering her young age and her desire to return to playing tennis it was decided that Megha will undergo arthroscopic debridement with the repair of the biceps,” says Dr. Banarji.
Megha being a physically demanding person she knew that her injury needed the best attention and she selected for surgical repair , and she underwent a keyhole surgery to repair the tear in her superior labrum. “Dr. Banarji, however, was very patient with me. He clarified all my doubts and helped me understand the entire process,” says Megha. The arthroscopic repair was conducted successfully, after which Megha underwent a rehabilitation program for 6 months. “The exercises and physiotherapy were specifically aimed at in
SLAP tears can have a disastrous effect on the career of a sportsperson if they are not treated properly. Dr. Banarji cautions that it may result in long-term damage to the shoulder joint, causing it to weaken and lose its range of motion. Megha is happy that she made the prompt decision to see Dr. Banarji. Megha beams, "I only lost 6 months recovering and am now back competing in tournaments and living my dream.
creasing the strength and endurance of the shoulder muscles and tissues so that a painless, complete range of motion can be restored,” says Dr. Banarji.
CONTACT US
Dr. Banarji Shoulder Center
3/4, 8th Main (Water Tank Road), CHBS Layout, Vijayanagar, Bangalore - 560 040.
Emergency: 9731274396
Appointment Mob:7760659606, +91 78297 23606
Email:drbanarji@orthobangalore.com
