Bankart Lesion Physiotherapy
A bankart injury refers to the tear of the glenoid labrum in the shoulder, and it’s a pretty common shoulder injury.
What happens is that the shoulder dislocates forward (medically termed as “anteriorly”) and this specificly damages the lower portion of the cartilage in the shoulder socket. Usually happens to younger and active individuals such as athletes or sportspersons.
It’s not just painful, but it also causes shoulder instability with increased chances of shoulder dislocations. It’s the same reason why people who has had shoulder dislocations tends to dislocate the same shoulder again and again unfortunately.
Contents
So what causes a bankart lesion?
First we need to understand more about the structure of the shoulder:
1st image: front of the shoulder. 2nd image: back of the shoulder joint
Our shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint, which simplys means there is a concave hole where a ball will sit and move (rotate) in. The top of the arm bone (head of the humerus) has the ball part of the joint, and the front part of the shoulder blade (glenoid fossa) is the “socket” part of the joint.
This kind of joints allows for super big range of movements in multiple angles and directions…but it comes at a big risk and costs too: the downside is that the shoulder joint has to be very shallow for it to work.
Can you imagine this joint now? Lots of movement but shallow joint….that’s very high at risk of shoulder dislocations.
But of course the story doesn’t end there – to make up for the shallowness of the joint, there is a special band of cartilage that’s around the socket which is called the glenoid labrum. It’s pretty solid, made of very tough fibro-cartilaginous substance and it behaves like an additional lining that deepens the shoulder joint without compromising movement or stability.
It’s pretty cool actually.
Bankart refers specificly to injury to this particular fibro-cartilaginous substance, the glenoid labrum.
And happens when the shoulder dislocates front + downwards, typically. This happens that the upper arm is forced forwards and is pushed out of the glenoid socket. Push it too much, and the glenoid labrum may tear entirely.
Stuff that causes bankart lesions and shoulder pains
Direct and traumatic injuries
This is the most common cause of anterior shoulder dislocations in older patients.
Injuries such as falling on outstretched hand is one of the most common causes of shoulder bankart injury. Especially if the arm meets these criteria:
- abducted (stretched or extended out to the side)
- externally rotated (turned outwards away from the body) and
- extended (behind)
The second most common cause of it under traumatic injuries are road / motorvehicle accidents (where patients have one or more straightened hands at the wheel and there is a sudden deceleration, and the force travels to the shoulder).
Sports Injuries
It’s either collision in contact sports such as football, rugby, water polo or wear and tear repetitive overhead movements such as cricket, baseball, tennis, squash, volleyball and basketball.
Symptoms of a glenoid labrum tear
- Repeated shoulder dislocations – this is one of the tellltale signs, where patients may experience multiple shoulder dislocations, although it’s more prominent in the active sporting individuals.
- Unstable affected shoulder – patients often report that their affected shoulder seems off, like it’s somewhat unstable or loose, and they fear their shoulder can easily dislocate again, even with simple reaching movement.
- Shoulder pain – shoulder aching pain that’s generalized over / within the shoulder area rather than in a very specific spot.
- Shoulder “catching” – clicking, locking or snapping in the shoulder with use
- Unusual sensation – numbness, tingling or burning feeling.
If I have a bankart shoulder, what should I do?
You should definitely consult an orthopedist, ideally a shoulder specialist, who will assess the severity and advise if you need corrective shoulder surgery and physiotherapy OR no need for surgery (ie conservative), and just do shoulder physiotherapy.
This depends entirely on:
- how unstable your shoulder is
- how painful your shoulder is
- how active your lifestyle is
- your age
- your preference
Regardless, you will definitely need shoulder physiotherapy for full shoulder recovery.
Bankart shoulder physiotherapy
Goal of shoulder physiotherapy:
- decrease pain
- increase range of motion (to full range)
- gradual strengthening
Shoulder physiotherapy for bankart lesions may include:
- cold therapy
- heat therapy
- moist heat paraffin wax therapy
- radio-frequency Indiba physiotherapy to accelerate soft tissue healing
- joint mobilization
- stretching exercises
- strengthening exercises
- scar management
- hands on manipulation and mobilization (manual therapy)
- soft tissue management
- heat therapy and heat treatment and heat pack to relief tight muscles and joints
- ultrasound therapy to accelerate soft tissue healing
- exercise therapy
- acupuncture and/or dry needling
- deep tissue release
- and more
Where To Next?
- Go to Home / Start
- Learn and find out more about your pains (bones, muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, nerves etc) at Pain Conditions & Injuries
- Visit our shop to see products we recommend for pain relief, heating, treatments and more
- Contact us