What is a SLAP tear?
A SLAP tear is an injury to a part of the shoulder joint called the labrum. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, similar to the hip joint. However, the shoulder joint is not as stable as the hip joint because of its size. To compensate for the size of the joint, the shoulder joint has a cuff of cartilage called a labrum that forms a cup for the end of the upper arm, or humerus, to move within the shoulder. A specific type of tear of the labrum is called a SLAP tear; this stands for Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior. The SLAP tear occurs at the point where the tendon of the biceps muscle inserts on the labrum.
