What is a labral tear of the shoulder?

To make sense of a labral tear, start with the part of the shoulder that is hurt. Once that is clear, the rest of the explanation follows in order.

What the labrum is

A labral tear is an injury to the labrum. OrthoInfo (AAOS) defines the labrum this way: "The labrum is the ring of cartilage that surrounds the socket of the shoulder joint."

So a labral tear means damage to that ring of cartilage, which sits around the socket and is not the socket itself.

Where the injury sits and what to note

Picture the order of parts: the socket first, the ring of cartilage around it second, and the injury to that ring third. What causes a tear and how often it happens are questions for your clinician.

Whether you have a tear is a question for a clinician, so the useful step is to describe your symptoms well. Write down these items before a visit.

• Where in the shoulder you feel the problem.
• Which movements bring it on.
• Any earlier shoulder injury you can recall.

Learning the terms before you go

Read a guide to the anatomy of the shoulder joint to place the labrum on a picture. A general pain overview offers everyday language for describing symptoms.

When you are ready, a professional society for pain physicians is one place to learn what the specialty covers, and this explainer on pain management shows what an evaluation can include. If you are in Bloomfield or nearby, bring your list to an appointment.

Pointing to the labrum

Learn the vocabulary first. When you can say "labrum" and point to it, the conversation with your clinician gets shorter and clearer.