A shoulder tear is an injury to the soft tissues that give the joint range of motion and stability. A tear can occur in the tendons, the muscles, or the labrum, a rim of fibrous tissue that lines the glenoid.
A tear may be partial or it may sever a tendon, muscle, or the labrum completely. Over time, small tears in a tendon can lead to a bigger tear. Shoulder tears can be caused by repeated use or by sudden injury. Years of repetitive arm motions performed during sports, chores, or jobs can lead to a tear. Athletes who play sports that require repetitive motions, such as baseball, tennis, and weightlifting, may experience a shoulder tear. A tear can also occur if you break a fall with an outstretched arm.
A dislocated shoulder occurs when the humerus becomes dislodged from the glenoid, which can pull muscles and tendons out of place and cause them to tear. Bony growths in the joint called bone spurs can rub against tendons, causing friction that may lead to a tear.
Symptoms include pain, a decrease in range of motion, and instability, which can feel like your shoulder may shift out of place. You may not notice a very small tear, whereas a complete tear can cause persistent, aching pain accompanied by weakness or even paralysis in the affected arm. However, symptoms are not always predictable. A small tear can be very painful, and a large tear may cause no symptoms.
Rotator Cuff Tear
A rotator cuff tear occurs in any of the muscles and tendons that connect the upper arm to the scapula, or shoulder blade. Four rotator cuff muscles help your shoulder to rotate. Four tendons work with the muscles to stabilize the shoulder and allow you to lift and move your arm in many directions.
Biceps Tendon Tear
A biceps tendon tear occurs in the tendon that attaches the biceps muscle to bone. The biceps muscle runs along the humerus and helps the arm to bend at the elbow and rotate from side to side.
Two biceps tendons attach this muscle to the shoulder. The short head tendon connects the biceps muscle to the coracoid process, a bony projection at the top of the shoulder blade. The long head tendon connects the muscle to the top of the glenoid labrum, or shoulder joint socket. A tear in the long head tendon is fairly common, but short head tendon tears are rare. This is because the position of the long head tendon in the biceps makes it vulnerable to injury.
Labral Tear
A tear in the labrum, the fibrous tissue that lines the shoulder socket, may occur. The head of the humerus is wider than the socket, and the labrum deepens the socket, helping it fit better, which stabilizes the joint. Several ligaments attach to this area of the shoulder. Injuries here can result from a single trauma or repetitive use of the shoulder.
If this tear affects the top half of the socket, where the biceps tendon connects to the shoulder, it is called a SLAP (superior labrum anterior and posterior) tear. In this injury, the biceps tendon may also tear. If a labral tear occurs on the bottom half of the socket, at the front of the shoulder, it is called a Bankart tear. If it affects the back of the shoulder, it is called a reverse Bankart tear.
If you have a labral tear, you may notice a slight clicking or popping noise when you move your arm. You may also feel a catching sensation in the joint, as though it can’t move any farther. These occur when a piece of the labrum gets stuck between the bones of the joint.
