Trends Related to the Treatment of Superior Labral Tears at a Single Institution

Background: As preferred treatment options for superior labral tears continue to evolve, this study aims to describe the recent longitudinal trends in the treatment of SLAP tears in a sub-specialized practice at a single institution. We hypothesized that there was a trend toward biceps tenodesis over repair for Type II SLAP lesions. Methods: A retrospective review was performed using an institutional billing database to identify all patients with a SLAP tear who underwent surgical intervention between January 2002 and January 2016. Procedural codes associated with the surgery were analyzed to determine type of treatment each patient received. Results: Of the 6,055 patients who underwent surgery for a SLAP tear during the study period, 39.1% (2,370) underwent labral repair, 15.4% (930) underwent tenodesis without repair, and 45.5% (2,755) underwent arthroscopy without tenodesis or repair. Labral repair made up a significantly higher proportion of surgical interventions in 2002 (82.2%) compared to in 2015 (21.8%; P<0.001). Surgeon experience did not impact trends. Over the study period, the mean age of patients receiving labral repair decreased from 40.4 years (range: 16.2 – 63.9) to 32.6 years (range: 14.0 – 64.7; P<0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that over the 14-year study period the rate of labral repairs for SLAP tears has decreased significantly and that these repairs have been directed towards a younger patient population.