Diagnosis and treatment of superior labral anterior to posterior tears can sometimes be controversial and pose a difficult decision-making process. The first line of treatment for most SLAP tears is usually rehabilitation. If that is not successful, the next step is often operative intervention.
Operative treatment of type I (superior labral anterior to posterior) SLAP tears is usually debridement. Treatment of type II SLAP tears is still somewhat controversial, especially in the overhead throwing athlete and older patient. Recent literature reports better outcomes with biceps tenodesis or tenotomy in patients older than 40 years and for some overhead athletes; although there are studies that show repair has success rates comparable to tenodesis in older inpiduals.
Source: Healio
