Torn labrum?

[whtouche]

So the doctor (actually the doctors secretary) called me a few hours ago with the results of the MRI I had on my right shoulder a few weeks ago. I have a torn labrum, without any more specific information than that. I've got a follow up appointment for spring break to figure out what the treatment/rehab/whatever options are, but I figured I would ask the question here: Has anyone ever dealt with a torn labrum in fencing or know of anyone who has? Did they have surgery to repair it or rehab or what, and how successful was it? Any sort of general information would be helpful as well, particularly recovery time, etc. Google searches and webmd were not particularly thorough in answering my questions, at least not the sources I found. Thanks in advance.

[Grasshopper]

Basically, you're screwed.

"if pitchers with torn labrums were horses, they'd be destroyed", the Internet said.

But God gave you two arms, so might want to switch hands.

[MHS Fencer]

It's a tough injury, and if you think it's going to keep you down, it will. If you are willing to put in the time and effort to overcome, you can, but it requires hard work and dedication.

I had a rather large (2cm) tear, and I had a bankart repair done about three years ago now. The surgery was successful in that I regained the ability to lift my arm, but it's never going to be quite the same - the shoulder's probably at 95% of ability, but with discomfort, and that's as good as I can hope that it'll ever get. The real change is that I cannot fence well unless I also keep up with my rehab exercises, which means constant strengthening.

My doctor told me that it would be 2 years until I was back to "normal" which he defined as better than 90% of pre-injury. As I said, I had a larger tear and was unable to lift my arm by the shoulder, so surgery was pretty much my only option. After the procedure I had my arm in a sling for 6 weeks, and then began rehab, starting with range of motion exercises, then building up strength, and my doctor gave me the okay to start mild practicing about 6 months after the surgery and the green light to compete after 8. I was 20 at the time, and my age certainly helped me overcome the injury more quickly. It also meant that the doctor was not worried about my losing range of motion so that I remained immobilized for a longer-than-standard period of time - some doctors will start ROM exercises much earlier, and call for less time in a sling.

When I kept up with my exercises I did well, but that means doing them religiously - when I didn't, I had problems (in NCAA regionals my shoulder seized up on me, and this was a year and change later). Now, as I've said, it's three years later, and I'm not competing at the level that I used to, but part of that has to do with graduating/moving/attempting to find a job rather than dedicating my free time/money to fencing. That said, I think that I can come back, and that my shoulder, while it may bother me, will not stop me.

Best of luck to you, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to answer.

[FencingAg]

Woohoo, I get to relate a positive story!

I tore my labrum about three years ago fencing in a small club tournament, kind of a fluke accident, really. Well, I put off going to the doctor, as I am constantly hurt, hoping that it would heal it self (I didn't know it was a torn labrum, I just thought it was some sort of muscle pull coupled with a shoulder separation, which I've had in the past.

Fast forward nearly a year... The shoulder did not get better, it got worse. Every time I would reach for a pencil, my arm started to pop out of socket, and forget about picking anything up. So, I finally decided to go get it checked out.

When I got to the doctor's office, he moved my arm this way and that, caused me a little bit of pain, and without even taking an MRI could tell that I had a serious tear. Surgery was scheduled one week later, and I was on the table.

Before going in to the operating room, I was assured it would be a fairly quuick procedure, and that it would take about an hour to go in arthroscopically (sp?). Well, 5 hours later, they completed the surgery, and the nurse who assisted in the procedure (who I knew) told me she had never seen a shoulder as shredded as mine. The doctor also told me it was one of the worse cases he had ever seen.

I was told to do nothing for a week, be in a sling for 3 months and complete physical therapy for 6 months after that. I was also told that once all that was finished that my arm would be so close to the way it was before the injury, that Iwould never know the difference.

Well, 1 month later, I am in the doctor's office, he takes off the sling, has me go through some motions, pokes and prods me to see what my range of motion and then gives me the following news:

Well, this is amazing, but you don't even need physical therapy. Keep doing whatever you are doing, because your shoulder is already ready. I was even cleared to go back to fencing/whatever I wanted. Now, 3 years later, that shoulder is just as strong, if not stronger, than it ever was.

Hopefully, you can go through the same abbreviated recovery process, and remember, it is certainly possible to recover from this one none the worse for wear.

Bobby

[snarsdale]

I have had chronic/ intermittent pain for several years now. My tear was small, and I never did have surgery. For periods of weeks/months, I'll have very little pain, then after a vigorous tournament or kayaking and getting stuffed in a hole requiring aggressive use of that arm, the ache/pain will increase. Today, its been at an eleveted level for a week or so. Antiinflammatories are my friend.....At this point, the overall level of pain is not enough for me to go to the OR, but I don't fence more than twice a week.

[mackillian]

If/when you get surgery, they'll generally give you pics of the inside of your shoulder.

The other thing I have to add is that there's some controversy about the treatment of labrum tear repairs—whether to go the conservative route (lots of physical therapy) or just go for surgery.

Googling will give you lots of articles, etc, on it. However, it's a great idea to discuss it all with your orthopedic doctor, as he'll know the specifics of your case. Youth does help if you end up going for surgery (at least that I was told).

Also, fencing with your offhand is way better than not fencing at all. At least in my experience it was.

Whatever happens, good luck.